Troops Rescue 388 Kidnap Victims, Arrest 31 Terrorists – DHQ

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Tuesday said troops deployed across various theatres of operation rescued 388 kidnapped victims, arrested 31 terrorists and neutralised 10 others in coordinated military operations conducted nationwide within the last week.

Naija News reports that the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Abuja on the Armed Forces’ ongoing offensive against terrorists, kidnappers, oil thieves and other criminal elements.

Onoja said troops of Operation Fansan Yamma recorded significant successes against terrorists and criminal networks in Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara states.

According to him, troops intercepted a vehicle conveying arms and ammunition concealed in a sack of millet along the Gusau-Shinkafi axis of Zamfara State on June 5.

“On 5 June 2026 at a snap checkpoint en route from Gusau to Shinkafi LGA of Zamfara State, troops intercepted a vehicle and recovered a locally fabricated 9mm pistol, 1,002 rounds of 7.62 mm by 39 mm ammunition, 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and 10 rounds of 9.4mm ammunition,” he said.

The military spokesman identified the suspect as Mallam Mustapha Abubakar, believed to be an arms dealer, adding that troops later arrested the intended recipient of the weapons in Shinkafi Local Government Area.

He further disclosed that troops neutralised terrorists during separate operations in Birnin Magaji and Maru Local Government Areas of Zamfara State, while motorcycles, communication gadgets, uniforms and other logistics items were recovered.

Troops Rescue 360 Abductees In Borno

In the North-East, Onoja said troops of Operation Hadin Kai intensified operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters through raids, patrols and clearance operations across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

He revealed that military operations in the Mandara Mountains led to the rescue of hundreds of civilians abducted by terrorists.

“The operational achievements peaked on 6 June 2026, when troops executed a highly sophisticated multi-axis raid across the Mandara Mountains in Gwoza LGA 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,” Onoja stated.

He added that although two infants died due to the harsh terrain, the remaining 358 victims were evacuated to the hospital, treated and later handed over to the relevant authorities.

The military also rescued several women and children who escaped from terrorist enclaves following sustained bombardments of insurgent hideouts.

Informants, Collaborators Arrested

The Defence Headquarters said several suspected terrorist informants, collaborators and logistics suppliers were arrested across the North-East.

Among those arrested were suspected informants in Yobe and Adamawa states, as well as logistics suppliers caught with food items, communication equipment, drugs and other materials allegedly destined for terrorist groups.

Onoja also disclosed that a 20-year-old suspected terrorist, identified as Fannami Ali, surrendered to troops in Monguno, Borno State.

In the North-Central region, troops of Operations Savannah Shield, Enduring Peace and Whirl Stroke recorded several successes against kidnappers and criminal elements in Niger, Plateau, Benue, Kogi and Taraba states.

The military spokesman said troops rescued six kidnapped passengers along the Hawan Kibo-Rafin Sayin road in Plateau State after responding to reports of an attack.

He added that another two abducted passengers were rescued in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area after security operatives launched a search-and-rescue operation.

In Kogi State, troops rescued two kidnap victims, including a bar manager and a sales girl, after terrorists abandoned them while attempting to evade military interception.

Crackdown On Oil Theft, Kidnappers

Onoja said troops of Operation Delta Safe sustained operations against crude oil theft and illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta.

According to him, illegal oil bunkering facilities, stolen petroleum products and illegal refining infrastructure were discovered and dismantled in Rivers, Delta, Edo and Akwa Ibom states.

He added that troops arrested five suspected kidnappers in Edo State who allegedly confessed to involvement in kidnapping activities over the past two years.

In the South-East, Onoja said troops of Operation Udoka, working alongside other security agencies, arrested suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network.

He disclosed that troops recovered large caches of weapons, including AK-47 rifles, a General Purpose Machine Gun, an RPG-7 launcher, hand grenades, magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition during raids in Enugu and Abia states.

“The coordinated exploitation of intelligence obtained from earlier arrested suspects significantly degraded the operational capacity of the proscribed group,” he said.

Onoja reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces to sustaining pressure on terrorists, kidnappers, oil thieves and other criminal elements across the country.

He said ongoing operations were aimed at dismantling criminal networks, disrupting logistics chains and restoring peace and security in affected communities.