Niegrian Military says it has rescued 546 kidnapped victims and neutralised 322 terrorists and other armed criminals across the country in August, as security forces intensified operations against terrorism, kidnapping, arms trafficking and oil theft.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this while briefing Defence Correspondents on the activities of the Armed Forces across the various theatres of operation.
According to him, troops also arrested hundreds of suspected terrorists and criminals, while scores of terrorists surrendered to the military following sustained pressure on their hideouts and supply networks.
In the North East, Operation HADIN KAI troops rescued 60 kidnap victims, neutralised 114 terrorists and arrested 146 suspects, while 201 terrorists surrendered.
Major General Onoja highlighted several major rescue operations in Borno State, including the recovery of women and children who had been held in terrorist enclaves for extended periods.
He said troops also rescued an 18-year-old woman abducted in November 2025 and a 63-year-old Cameroonian national abducted along the Gwoza-Cameroon axis.
In one of the major operations, troops cleared a terrorist camp at Kopre Mountain in Adamawa State, neutralising 21 terrorists and recovering six AK-47 rifles, 23 magazines and 586 rounds of ammunition.
The Director further disclosed that coordinated ground and air operations in Kukawa, Borno State, on August 28 led to the neutralisation of several terrorists, while subsequent air strikes eliminated 25 more terrorists and destroyed 10 motorcycles.
In the North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA troops rescued 126 kidnap victims, neutralised 190 terrorists and arrested 47 suspects during the month.
A major clearance operation around Maikujera in Sokoto State resulted in the neutralisation of 30 terrorists, with troops recovering 10 AK-47 rifles and five RPGs.
Major General Onoja said intelligence indicated that the terrorists were linked to the network of notorious kingpin Bello Turji.
In the North Central, Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD recorded a major breakthrough with the rescue of 308 abducted persons, mostly women and children, from the Kainji Lake National Park.
The operation brought the total number of kidnap victims rescued in the theatre to 329, alongside seven terrorists neutralised and four arrested.
Operation WHIRL STROKE, covering Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Taraba states, also rescued 38 kidnap victims, neutralised three terrorists and arrested 31 suspects.
Meanwhile, troops operating in the South-South under Operation DELTA SAFE arrested 43 criminals, rescued 38 civilians and dismantled 21 illegal refining sites, recovering more than 696,800 litres of petroleum products.
In the South-East, Operation UDO KA troops arrested 20 criminals, neutralised five terrorists and rescued four civilians, while also disrupting kidnapping and armed groups operating across the region.
Major General Onoja said the successes recorded across the theatres reflect the military’s continued efforts to deny terrorists and criminal networks freedom of movement, disrupt their logistics and supply chains, rescue abducted persons and protect communities and critical national infrastructure.