Nigerian troops kill 1,597 terrorists, rescue over 1,500 kidnap victims in six months — Official

The figures were announced on Thursday during a joint security briefing at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Abuja, where the military spokesperson and representatives from 14 other security, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies presented their mid-year operational reports.

Military operatives deployed across Nigeria have recorded significant operational gains in the first half of 2026, killing 1,597 terrorists and insurgents and rescuing 1,516 kidnapped victims in a total of 14,000 security operations.

The figures were announced on Thursday during a joint security briefing at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Abuja, where the military spokesperson and representatives of 14 other security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies presented their mid-year operational reports.

According to the spokesperson for Defence Headquarters, Samaila Uba, troops carried out 14,221 coordinated land, air and maritime operations between January and June across all six geopolitical zones, targeting terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft and other violent crimes.

During the operations, security forces recovered 451 firearms, 16,726 rounds of ammunition and 161 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), said Mr Uba, who was represented by Kabiru Ali, a Nigerian Air Force group captain.

The defence spokesperson said troops also rescued 261 people held in terrorist enclaves, killed 412 Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, arrested 332 suspected terrorists and recovered weapons, motorcycles and livestock from insurgents.

According to him, 132 insurgents also surrendered during the period due to sustained military pressure.

The operations, he said, covered conflict hotspots including Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kaduna, Kwara and Oyo states.

Nigeria is facing multiple security threats, including banditry, piracy, separatist attacks, communal clashes, resource-based conflict or farmers-herders’ crisis and Boko Haram insurgency, which has lingered for more than a decade, resulting in thousands of deaths and displacements.

The war is now heading southward, with over 30 students and their teachers being abducted in Oyo State. While the military continues to launch offensives against these violent groups across the country, they remain resilient in carrying out their activities.

Police report breakthroughs

The Nigeria Police Force said intelligence-led operations led to the arrest of suspects linked to terrorism, kidnapping and armed robbery, while officers dismantled criminal networks operating in several states.

Police spokesperson Anietie Iniedu said among the successes recorded were the rescue of a woman and her twin children during a kidnapping operation and the arrest of suspected gunrunners.

Mr Iniedu, a chief superintendent of police (CSP), added that operatives also intercepted ammunition destined for criminal groups along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor and dismantled a railway vandalism syndicate, recovering stolen materials valued at about N400 million.

In recent months, Abuja has witnessed many kidnapping-for-ransom cases and “one chance” robberies. However, in what the police described as a breakthrough, operatives dismantled a suspected bandits’ enclave within the Federal Capital Territory and arrested members of a “one chance” robbery syndicate that had been under surveillance for several months.

NDLEA dismantles largest meth laboratory

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reported what it described as the largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratory ever discovered in Nigeria.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the agency, in coordinated operations across Ogun and Lagos states, dismantled the largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratory and arrested an alleged drug kingpin, three Mexican nationals and six Nigerian collaborators.

The agency said the operations led to the seizure of drugs and precursor chemicals valued at about N480 billion and the arrest of key cartel members.

Between January and May, the NDLEA said it arrested 9,769 suspects, dismantled 144 criminal gangs, seized more than 517 tonnes of illicit drugs and secured 1,778 convictions.

Other agencies highlight enforcement gains

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) reported shutting down an illegal arms factory in Yobe State, sealing two steel companies over alleged infrastructure vandalism and resolving more than 2,600 conflict cases nationwide.

The Nigeria Customs Service said it generated N3.35 trillion in revenue between January and May while intercepting illicit drugs worth N24.33 billion, undeclared foreign currencies and endangered wildlife products.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) reported a 25.65 per cent reduction in road crashes compared with the same period last year, alongside the recovery of 12 stolen vehicles and more than 279,000 traffic-related arrests.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it secured 915 convictions for economic and financial crimes between January and April 2026, underscoring the agency’s continued anti-corruption drive.

Among those convicted, according to the commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, were several high-profile former public officials, including former Minister of Power Saleh Mamman, former acting Accountant-General of the Federation Chukwunyere Nwabuoku, former Managing Director of NEXIM Bank Robert Orya, and former Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Albert Bassey.

PREMIUM TIMES has reported on the allegations against these people and their convictions. For instance, Mr Nwabuoku was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment after being convicted of diverting about N868.4 million in public funds

For alleged money-laundering involving public funds, Mr Mamman was sentenced to 75 years’ imprisonment. While Mr Orya got a 10-year jail term after his conviction for N1.4 billion “fraud”, Mr Bassey bagged a seven-year prison sentence for an alleged N240 million fraud.

The Nigerian Correctional Service reported no prison breaks nationwide during the six months, despite foiling an attempt to smuggle an improvised explosive device into a custodial centre and recovering more than 1,100 prohibited items.

The Nigeria Immigration Service said it repatriated 567 foreign nationals, rescued 563 trafficking victims and expanded electronic border surveillance, while the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said it rescued more than 1,300 trafficking victims and secured 83 convictions.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said it provided humanitarian assistance to more than 373,000 Nigerians affected by disasters, insurgency, banditry and communal violence during the period.

The officials said the agencies would sustain intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency collaboration in the second half of the year while urging citizens to continue providing timely information to support efforts against terrorism, banditry and other organised crimes.