War on Terror: Police Eliminate 78 Insurgents, Rescue 175 Hostages in Just One Month

The Nigeria Police Force has reportedly neutralised 78 terrorists and rescued 175 kidnap victims in the past month across 326 operations nationwide. This disclosure was made by the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, during a monthly joint security briefing held in Abuja.

According to iReporter Online, Issa-Onilu stated that the newly established monthly security update aims to provide transparency and coordination among security agencies and the public. He revealed that a total of 2,901 arrests were made during the police-led operations, with six arms trafficking syndicates dismantled.

In the same reporting period, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps reportedly mediated 720 conflict cases, while the Federal Road Safety Corps documented over 2,800 fatalities. Issa-Onilu noted that the federal government has scaled up security operations, integrating tactical enforcement with intelligence-led interventions. He emphasized that the government is intensifying its clampdown on insurgency, banditry, and trafficking through coordinated inter-agency cooperation.

“Our forces are taking back Nigeria—one operation at a time,” Issa-Onilu declared, noting that security efforts are active from the Northeast to the Niger Delta. He urged citizens to support the drive by reporting threats and avoiding the spread of unverified information.

On the narcotics front, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency was said to have seized 2.9 million kilograms of cannabis, 520 kilograms of tramadol, and over 7 kilograms of methamphetamine. The arms cache recovered included 12 AK-47 rifles, two general-purpose machine guns (GPMGs), and more than 2,200 rounds of ammunition. Simultaneously, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control intercepted 10 containers of tramadol and several expired tomato paste products.

Issa-Onilu described narcotics and illegal arms as the “oxygen of criminality,” warning that the government is actively dismantling supply chains at borders, highways, and marketplaces while also investing in rehabilitation and public sensitization campaigns.

He praised the resilience of Nigeria’s security forces and called on citizens to become stakeholders in national security efforts. “Security does not begin on a battlefield—it begins in our homes, our values, and our truthfulness. Let us unite behind a peaceful and secure Nigeria,” the NOA boss concluded.