Troops Killed 317 Terrorists, Rescued 221 Victims In May — DHQ

 The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced massive tactical successes across its nationwide security operations during May, confirming that joint land, air and maritime campaigns have successfully eliminated 317 terrorists and armed bandits while securely liberating 221 kidnapped civilians from remote insurgent camps.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, unveiled the monthly operational briefing on Tuesday at the military headquarters in Abuja. General Onoja detailed a highly aggressive, multi-theatre offensive that resulted in the direct arrest of 314 suspected terror collaborators, logistics informants and international gunrunners. Over the course of the 31-day campaign, frontline troops recovered 93 assorted military-grade weapons, triggered the formal surrender of 18 active insurgents, destroyed three sophisticated illegal crude oil refining sites and intercepted over 21,910 liters of stolen petroleum products.

"The renewed offensive reflects the military’s sustained pressure on terrorist networks, criminal gangs and economic saboteurs across all theatres," General Onoja told the press gallery. "The Armed Forces will not relent in its constitutional mandate to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty and protect citizens."

Providing a regional breakdown of the operations, the military spokesperson highlighted the significant achievements of Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East geopolitical zone. Confronting entrenched remnants of Islamic extremist networks across Borno and Yobe states, troops neutralized 73 insurgents, arrested 159 collaborators and successfully rescued 112 trapped civilians. The sustained pressure effectively disrupted cross-border supply lines, forcing several fighters to abandon their weapons and surrender directly to frontline forward bases.

In the North-West, the newly re-strategized Operation Fansan Yamma leveraged synchronized air-ground strikes and long-range border patrols to eliminate 24 bandits, arrest 13 suspects and free 22 captive victims. Simultaneously, Operation Savannah Shield, Operation Enduring Peace and Operation Whirl Stroke swept through the North-Central zone, focusing on dismantling rural kidnapping syndicates. A headline success in this sector was the intelligence-led discovery and complete dismantling of a hidden, sophisticated illegal arms manufacturing plant operating in Plateau State.

Down in the creeks of the South-South, maritime forces under Operation Delta Safe targeted economic sabotage and oil bunkering rings, arresting 14 elite cartel suspects and destroying crude cooking camps. In the South-East, Operation Udo Ka sustained tactical pressure on armed secessionist elements, arresting 60 suspects and recovering an array of light weaponry.

Addressing a recent high-profile kidnapping event in Oyo State, General Onoja stated that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has ordered an immediate reinforcement of tactical boots on the ground, alongside the deployment of high-altitude aerial surveillance assets to hunt down the perpetrators.