Military Eliminates 6,260 Criminals, Recovers ₦83bn in Stolen Crude

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has revealed that the Nigerian military neutralised 6,260 terrorists, insurgents, and other violent criminals during various joint operations across the country over the past two years.

This was disclosed on Thursday in Abuja by Brigadier General Ibrahim Abu-Mawashi, Deputy Director of Defence Media Operations, during an engagement with media stakeholders. He further announced that 14,138 suspects were arrested, while 5,365 civilians were rescued during the operations.

Abu-Mawashi noted that hundreds of weapons and tens of thousands of ammunition rounds were recovered from different regions. In the Niger Delta, troops dismantled illegal crude oil operations, recovered petroleum products valued at ₦83 billion, killed 103 suspects, arrested 2,760 individuals, and rescued 266 hostages.

In the Northeast, 1,246 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters were killed, 2,467 suspects arrested, and 1,920 civilians rescued. The troops also seized 982 weapons and over 2,150 rounds of ammunition.

In the Northwest, covering states like Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina, 1,374 bandits—including several key commanders—were neutralised, 2,160 suspects arrested, and 3,288 people freed from captivity. The military also recovered 947 weapons and 25,802 rounds of ammunition in that zone.

In North-central Nigeria, troops eliminated 730 threats, arrested 7,153 violent extremists, rescued 1,510 civilians, and confiscated 1,065 weapons and nearly 20,000 rounds.

In the Southeast, Joint Task Force operations led to the death of 440 criminals, arrest of 1,677 suspects, rescue of 294 civilians, and recovery of 683 weapons and over 21,000 rounds of ammunition.

In the Southwest, security forces killed 80 suspects, arrested 1,763, rescued 89 victims, and seized 143 weapons along with a staggering 177,904 rounds of ammunition.

Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, described the report as part of the military’s ongoing transparency and its people-focused approach to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges. He reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ commitment to keeping the public informed about its operations and achievements.