From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, yesterday, said that Military operations conducted between February 2023 to 2025, led to the killing of 13,543 terrorists/criminals and arrest of 17,469 others.
The operations also led to the rescue of 9,821 kidnapped victims, while 124,408 terrorist combatant fighters and their families surrendered to troops at various theatre of operation.
Badaru, during the 2025 Ministerial press briefing in Abuja, said the fight against insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other criminal groups terrorizing the peace in the country led to the recovery of 11,118 weapons and 252,596 assorted ammunition.
Giving an update on military operations from 2023 to date, the minister said that the coordinated military efforts, primarily concentrated in the volatile Northeast region, have been hailed as a significant step forward in the country’s security campaign.
Abubakar emphasized that the military’s operational intensity, particularly in the Northeast, has yielded substantial results, thanks to a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies.
According to him, these strategies have proven instrumental in dismantling terrorist networks and reclaiming areas once under insurgent control, allowing the return of thousands of displaced citizens to their homes.
“In addition to the killing of terrorist leaders such as Damina, Kachanda, and Ali Kawaji, the operations have also resulted in the capture of over 17,000 suspects and the surrender of more than 124,000 combatants and their families.
“This broad-based success is attributed to a significant improvement in intelligence-sharing and surveillance, especially in the Lake Chad region, where partnerships with international allies have enabled the deployment of advanced monitoring systems.
“These systems have improved the tracking of militant movements, facilitating more coordinated military responses.
“Remnants of Boko Haram continue to carry out sporadic drone attacks in the northeast, while banditry and kidnappings persist in the northwest.
“Additionally, rising ethnic tensions in the north-central region, fueled by resource competition and climate change, continue to complicate the security landscape