The Nigerian military announced in July that troops killed 102 terrorists and other suspected criminals, arrested 345 suspects and rescued 397 kidnapped victims in operations nationwide.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this on Friday when he presented the Armed Forces’ operational scorecard for the month.
Troops also recovered 59 weapons and 1,811 rounds of ammunition, he said, while 57 insurgents and family members surrendered to security forces.
“One of the major breakthroughs recorded during the period was the surrender of a senior finance operative of the Islamic State West Africa Province,” Onoja said.
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai suffered coordinated ground and air offensives against Boko Haram, ISWAP and Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, the defence spokesman said in a breakdown of operations in the North-East.
The operations were carried out in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno and Yobe states, he said.
“Operations resulted in the killing of 54 terrorists, arrest of 102 suspects, rescue of 102 kidnapped victims and the surrender of 57 insurgents and their family members,” Onoja said.
“The theatre also recorded a consistent trend of surrender brought about by sustained offensive pressure on terrorists’ enclaves.
Meanwhile, Onoja said a senior ISWAP finance operative surrendered to troops on the Ladari-Jegarawa-Tunokalia axis of the Gamboru-Wulgo Main Supply Route on July 25.
The suspect was identified as the chief finance officer of an ISWAP enclave in Jubillaram, he said.
“He also said, “One of the suspects, who is the Chief Finance Officer of the ISWAP enclave at Jubillaram, surrendered with two children and also submitted an AK-47 rifle, four magazines, 101 rounds of ammunition, a motorcycle and undisclosed amount of money.
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“The surrender is a reflection of the success of ongoing military operations in eroding operational capability and morale of insurgent groups.”
He said three other suspected terrorists surrendered to troops in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State on July 28 after they escaped their camps following sustained air strikes.
The suspects confessed during interrogation that they were trained as gunboat operators and anti-aircraft gunners for operations around the Lake Chad region, Onoja said.
The military also arrested two suspected collaborators of terrorists in Magumeri Local Government Area for their alleged support to the activities of insurgents.
Troops Rescue Abducted Persons In Taraba
Troops on a fighting patrol to Bomanda village in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State rescued three kidnapped victims, Onoja said.
The victims were held captive for about 10 days before being rescued, he said.
“The victims had been held captive for about 10 days. They were evacuated for medical attention and later reunited with their families,” he said.
On the summary of the nationwide operations, Onoja said the military would continue to apply pressure on terrorists, kidnappers and other criminal groups.
Onoja said “The operational record for the month of July is a compelling testimony of the resolve of the Armed Forces to create an environment of security for socio-economic development.
“During the month, 102 terrorists and criminals were neutralised, 345 suspects were arrested, 397 kidnapped victims were rescued, while 57 insurgents surrendered. “Troops also recovered 59 weapons and 1,811 rounds of ammunition.”
He said that the operations against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta also disrupted the activities of suspected economic saboteurs.
14 Kidnapped Victims Rescued By Army In Edo
Meanwhile, troops of the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, under 2 Division, have rescued 14 kidnapped victims in Edo State.
This was disclosed by the Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade, Kennedy Anyanwu in a statement Friday.
Meanwhile, troops responding to a kidnapping incident along the Lagos-Benin Expressway in Ovia North-East Local Government Area also participated in Operation WABAIZIGAN, he said.
Anyanwu said: “The rescue operation was conducted at about 9:30 pm on July 30, 2026, based on credible intelligence on the kidnap incident received by troops on routine patrol.
Acting quickly and decisively, the troops pursued the kidnappers along their route of withdrawal and maintained the pressure that forced the criminals to abandon 11 of the abducted victims and flee into the surrounding forest.
A follow-up operation the next day led to the rescue of the remaining three victims, he added.
“In a follow up clearance operation on July 31, 2026, troops aggressively combed the forest and successfully rescued the remaining three victims bringing the total number of rescued victims to 14,” he stated.
