By Abu Adamu
The Armed Forces of Nigeria have recorded a major breakthrough in the war against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and oil theft, rescuing 388 abducted victims, arresting 31 terrorists and criminal suspects, and killing 10 insurgents in coordinated operations across the country within the past week.
The Defence Headquarters disclosed the achievements on Tuesday, describing the operations as part of an intensified nationwide offensive against terrorists, kidnappers, oil thieves, and other criminal elements threatening national security.
The latest military successes came as a Katsina State High Court sentenced a female arms courier, Hauwa’u Mukhtar, to death by hanging for conspiracy to commit, aid, and abet terrorism.
Mukhtar was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Jibia Motor Park in Katsina while allegedly attempting to transport 438 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to a notorious bandit kingpin, identified as Ado, who operates from the dreaded Dunburum Forest in Zamfara State.
Following her trial before Justice A.B. Bawale, the court held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt through witness testimonies and exhibits tendered before the court. She was subsequently sentenced to death in line with the provisions of the Katsina State Penal Code Law, 2021.
The conviction is the latest in a series of high-profile anti-terrorism prosecutions. In June, a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted four persons over their involvement in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which claimed dozens of lives and shocked the nation.
Against this backdrop, Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, told journalists in Abuja that troops operating under various military theatres had intensified pressure on terrorist groups and criminal networks nationwide.
One of the most dramatic successes occurred in the North-East, where troops of Operation Hadin Kai carried out a daring multi-axis assault on terrorist enclaves in the Mandara Mountains of Borno State, leading to the rescue of 360 civilians, mostly women and children, who had been held captive by insurgents since an attack on the Ngoshe community in March.
According to Onoja, the June 6 operation threw terrorist camps into disarray and enabled troops to recover hundreds of hostages from captivity.
“The operational achievements peaked on 6 June 2026, when troops executed a highly sophisticated multi-axis raid across the Mandara Mountains in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
“This daring manoeuvre induced widespread chaos within the terrorist networks, enabling ground troops to successfully rescue 360 civilians, predominantly women and children, who had been held since their abduction during an attack on the Ngoshe community on March 3, 2026,” he said.
While two infants reportedly died due to the harsh terrain during the rescue operation, the remaining victims received medical attention before being handed over to relevant authorities.
Military pressure on Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists also led to the rescue of several other women and children who escaped from insurgent-controlled territories.
In the North-West, troops of Operation Fansan Yamma intercepted a major arms shipment concealed in a sack of millet along the Gusau-Shinkafi road in Zamfara State.
Security forces recovered a locally fabricated 9mm pistol, 1,002 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and additional rounds of other calibres.
The suspect, identified as Mallam Mustapha Abubakar, believed to be an arms dealer, was arrested, while troops subsequently tracked down and apprehended the intended recipient of the weapons in Shinkafi Local Government Area.
The seizure highlighted the growing efforts by security agencies to dismantle the arms supply chains fuelling banditry and terrorism across the North-West.
Troops also neutralised terrorists during separate operations in Birnin Magaji and Maru Local Government Areas of Zamfara State, recovering motorcycles, communication gadgets, military-style uniforms, and other logistics.
The military further intensified its crackdown on terrorist collaborators and informants, arresting several suspects in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states.
According to the Defence Headquarters, the suspects included logistics suppliers and intelligence sources working for insurgent groups. Security operatives recovered food items, drugs, communication equipment and other materials allegedly destined for terrorist camps.
In another development, a 20-year-old suspected terrorist, Fannami Ali, surrendered voluntarily to troops in Monguno, Borno State.
Operations in the North-Central zone also yielded results, with troops of Operations Savannah Shield, Enduring Peace and Whirl Stroke rescuing kidnap victims and disrupting criminal activities in Plateau, Niger, Benue, Kogi and Taraba states.
Among those rescued were six passengers abducted along the Hawan Kibo-Rafin Sayin road in Plateau State, while another two victims were freed during a search-and-rescue operation in Barkin Ladi.
In Kogi State, troops rescued a bar manager and a sales girl who had been kidnapped but were abandoned by their captors during a military pursuit.
The anti-crime offensive extended to the Niger Delta, where troops of Operation Delta Safe dismantled illegal oil refining sites and crude oil theft networks in Rivers, Delta, Edo and Akwa Ibom states.
Large quantities of stolen petroleum products and illegal refining equipment were recovered and destroyed during the operations.
In Edo State, five suspected kidnappers were arrested and reportedly confessed to participating in kidnapping activities over the past two years.
Meanwhile, troops operating in the South-East dealt a significant blow to criminal elements linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Military raids in Enugu and Abia states led to the arrest of suspects and the recovery of a substantial cache of weapons, including AK-47 rifles, a General Purpose Machine Gun, an RPG-7 launcher, hand grenades, magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Onoja said intelligence extracted from previously arrested suspects played a critical role in degrading the operational capabilities of the group.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces to sustaining pressure on terrorists, kidnappers, oil thieves and other criminal networks, stressing that ongoing operations are aimed at dismantling criminal structures, cutting off logistics supplies and restoring peace across affected communities.