Nigeria’s Armed Forces achieved significant operational milestones in 2025, neutralising several high-profile terrorist commanders and thousands of insurgents nationwide, according to the Defence Headquarters (DHQ).
Briefing journalists in Abuja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major-General Michael Onoja, said the military sustained a broad-spectrum campaign against terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and oil theft, recalibrating its strategy to counter evolving threats.
Among those neutralised were prominent terrorist and bandit leaders across multiple theatres. In total, security forces arrested 4,375 suspects, secured the voluntary surrender of 1,616 terrorists and their family members, and rescued 2,336 kidnapped victims during the year.
In the North East, troops under Operation Hadin Kai dismantled terrorist camps, apprehended over 1,300 suspects, recovered weapons and cash, and facilitated the gradual return of civil authority and economic activity. In the North West, Operation Fansan Yamma recorded extensive successes, including precision drone strikes against ISIS enclaves, the arrest of hundreds of suspects and the rescue of nearly 1,000 hostages, with no civilian casualties reported.
Operations in the North Central zone also yielded measurable outcomes, with multiple arrests, rescues and recoveries of arms under Operations Enduring Peace and Whirl Stroke. The DHQ reaffirmed the military’s commitment to safeguarding lives, securing national borders and working with strategic partners to entrench regional stability and enduring peace, while urging citizens to remain vigilant and supportive as operations continue.