DHQ: Troops Free 388 Kidnap Victims, Capture 31 Terrorists

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced that troops deployed across various operational theatres nationwide rescued 388 kidnapped victims, arrested 31 suspected terrorists and neutralised 10 others during coordinated military operations carried out over the past week.

According to Ireporter Online, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed the development while briefing journalists in Abuja on the military’s ongoing efforts against terrorism, kidnapping, crude oil theft and other criminal activities.

Onoja stated that troops under Operation Fansan Yamma recorded notable victories against terrorists and criminal syndicates operating in Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara states. He revealed that security operatives intercepted a vehicle transporting a cache of arms and ammunition concealed inside a sack of millet along the Gusau-Shinkafi route in Zamfara State on June 5.

During the operation, troops recovered a locally fabricated 9mm pistol, 1,002 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition and 10 rounds of 9.4mm ammunition. The suspect, identified as Mallam Mustapha Abubakar, is believed to be an arms dealer, while the intended recipient of the weapons was subsequently apprehended in Shinkafi Local Government Area.

The military also reported the elimination of several terrorists during separate operations in Birnin Magaji and Maru Local Government Areas of Zamfara State, with motorcycles, communication devices, military uniforms and other logistics materials recovered from the suspects.

In the North-East, troops of Operation Hadin Kai intensified raids, patrols and clearance operations targeting Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. One of the most significant breakthroughs occurred during a coordinated multi-axis assault on terrorist hideouts in the Mandara Mountains of Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno State, on June 6.

The operation led to the rescue of 360 civilians, mostly women and children, who had been held captive since the March 3 attack on the Ngoshe community. Although two infants reportedly died due to the difficult terrain during the evacuation, the remaining 358 victims received medical treatment before being handed over to the appropriate authorities.

Military operations also resulted in the rescue of additional women and children who escaped from terrorist enclaves following sustained offensives against insurgent camps.

The Defence Headquarters further disclosed that several suspected terrorist informants, collaborators and logistics suppliers were arrested across the North-East. Among those apprehended were individuals allegedly providing intelligence and supplies, including food items, communication equipment and drugs, to terrorist groups in Yobe and Adamawa states.

In a separate development, a 20-year-old suspected terrorist identified as Fannami Ali voluntarily surrendered to troops in Monguno, Borno State.

Across the North-Central region, troops involved in Operations Savannah Shield, Enduring Peace and Whirl Stroke recorded further successes against kidnappers and criminal gangs operating in Niger, Plateau, Benue, Kogi and Taraba states.

Security forces rescued six kidnapped passengers along the Hawan Kibo-Rafin Sayin road in Plateau State after responding swiftly to reports of an attack, while two additional abducted passengers regained their freedom during a search-and-rescue operation in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.

In Kogi State, troops also rescued a bar manager and a sales attendant who had been kidnapped after their captors abandoned them while attempting to evade military interception.

Meanwhile, troops of Operation Delta Safe sustained their crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta, dismantling illegal bunkering sites and recovering stolen petroleum products as well as refining equipment across Rivers, Delta, Edo and Akwa Ibom states.

The military also arrested five suspected kidnappers in Edo State, with the suspects allegedly confessing to participating in kidnapping operations over the last two years.

In the South-East, troops of Operation Udoka, working alongside other security agencies, arrested suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

Security operatives recovered a large cache of weapons during raids conducted in Enugu and Abia states, including AK-47 rifles, a General Purpose Machine Gun, an RPG-7 launcher, hand grenades, magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Major General Onoja stated that intelligence gathered from previously arrested suspects significantly weakened the operational capabilities of the proscribed group and reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ commitment to sustaining pressure on terrorists, kidnappers, oil thieves and other criminal elements.

He added that ongoing operations are focused on dismantling criminal networks, disrupting their logistics chains and restoring lasting peace and security across affected communities nationwide.