Troops Neutralise 317 Terrorists, Rescue 221 Victims in May Operations – DHQ,

The Defence Headquarters, (DHQ) has disclosed that troops neutralized 317 terrorists, arrested 314 suspects and rescued 221 kidnapped victims in their various theatres of operations across the country in the 2nd quarter of the year.
The Director of Media Operations, (DMO) Major General Micheal Onoja disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the activities of the armed forces saying that the troops maintained a relentless posture until the perpetrators are brought to account and the security of the region is completely restored.
He said: “In the North East, 73 insurgents were killed, 159 suspects arrested, 112 kidnapped victims rescued and 18 repentant terrorists surrendered to the troops.”
He said troops of Operation HADIN KAI conducted offensive operations against remnants of Boko Haram/ISWAP in Adamawa, Borno, Taraba and Yobe States, with a compelling succession of operational successes during the period.
During 15th – 25th May 2026, he said, the troops observed a sharp acceleration in clearance operations and an unprecedented surge in voluntary terrorist surrenders, which powerfully illustrated the irreversible erosion of insurgent morale under relentless military pressure.
Also, troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA recorded encounters with armed terrorists in Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States during the period, severely degrading hostile networks through aggressive offensive action and precision intelligence operations.
He said a total of 24 insurgents were neutralized, 13 arrested and 22 civilians rescued.
While speaking on Operation ENDURING PEACE, he said troops demonstrated unrelenting operational drive across Plateau and parts of Bauchi, Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna and Nasarawa States throughout the period, with landmark results in the neutralisation of kidnapping networks and neutralisation of dangerous criminal infrastructure embedded within civilian communities.
He said 9 terrorists were killed, 36 arrested and 15 civilians rescued.
He said that after the arrest of two kidnappers in Qua’an Pan LGA of Plateau State on 29 April, four other gang members were neutralised in their hideout during a targeted follow-up operation.
Also, a suspect was arrested along the Abaji-Kwali expressway in Abuja with 250 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition concealed in the engine compartment of a vehicle.
He said the arrest exposed the well thought out mechanisms for trafficking illegal arms within the country.
During the period, troops of Operation DELTA SAFE, conducted multi-domain offensive operations across Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers States, dismantling kidnapping networks and criminal economic saboteurs targeting Nigeria’s petroleum infrastructure.
“In all, 14 criminals were arrested, 3 illegal refining sites were destroyed and 21, 910 litres of assorted petroleum products were recovered.
Complementing the humanitarian efforts, the Nigerian Army, through Operation FANSAN YAMMA, donated 400 bags of fertiliser to farming communities in Maru LGA of Zamfara State on 13 May 2026 in a timely and impactful intervention to boost food production and to enhance civil-military relations ahead of the 2026 farming season.
“ The Nigerian Army, during a distribution ceremony held at the palace of the Emir of Maru, reiterated the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s steadfast commitment to enhancing community livelihoods through non-kinetic initiatives that complement active security operations,” he said.
The gallantry of the troops was lauded and Nigerians were called upon to give timely intelligence information to sustain the gains.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday reserved judgment in the trial of five men accused of being involved in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State that killed 41 worshippers.
Justice Nwite adjourned judgment to a date to be communicated to the parties after counsel to the prosecution and defence adopted their final written addresses.
The judge told lawyers that the court would let them know when the judgment was ready and the notice could come within 24 hours.
In his final address, counsel to the Department of State Services, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), called on the court to convict the defendants and sentence them to death, the maximum punishment for the offence allegedly committed, because of the gravity of the offence.
But counsel to the defendants, Abdullahi Mohammad, prayed the court to discharge and acquit his clients, saying the prosecution failed to establish its case against them.
The defendants are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
The trial began on August 1, 2025, and the DSS called 11 witnesses to prove the allegations against the suspects.
The court had earlier allowed the defendants’ confessional statements after a trial-within-a-trial to determine if the statements were made voluntarily.
Also, not less than 140 persons were injured in the attack. At the commencement of the trial, the DSS had sought and secured an expedited hearing of the case.