JUST IN: Nigerian Military Kills 109 Terrorists, Details Emerge
- Nigerian troops on the frontline battling insurgents have eliminated no fewer than 109 terrorists a few days after six soldiers were killed on the battlefield
- Spokesman of defence media operations, Major General Edward Buba, said this in a statement on Friday, January 10, 2025
- According to Buba, the armed forces remain focused and are continuing their counter-insurgency campaign against terrorist and their cohorts operating across the country
TheTalk.NG journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering security matters in Nigeria.
FCT, Abuja – The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Friday, January 10, disclosed that troops on internal security across Nigeria in the past one week have eliminated 109 terrorists.
TheTalk.NG gathered that 81 others were arrested.
As reported by Leadership newspaper, a statement by Edward Buba, director of defence media operations, revealed that troops also rescued 43 hostages, arrested six suspected oil thieves, and recovered stolen crude worth N618,756,470.00 during the period.
In the same vein, troops recovered 21 assorted weapons and 124 assorted ammunition in the period under review, The Punch noted.
Breaking down the operations by theatre, Buba reported that troops of Operation Hadin Kai neutralised 64 terrorists, arrested 28 suspects, and rescued 14 kidnapped victims.
He said:
“On January 3, 2025, the air component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, as part of its ongoing offensive operations against terrorists, conducted an air interdiction at Alawa Forest in Shiroro LGA of Niger state. Battle Damage Assessment revealed that several terrorists were eliminated, and their structures, along with logistics, were destroyed.
“Overall, troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA neutralised 21 terrorists, arrested 24 individuals, and rescued 5 kidnapped hostages.”
Lingering terrorism challenge in northern Nigeria
The north is one of the axes on the front line of a yearslong insurgency by Boko Haram, bandits, and other hardline groups which has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over 2 million. The armed groups often raid villages, kill, and abduct residents, and burn homes after looting them.
Terrorism and the violence and insecurity it has brought to communities not just in Nigeria but in many neighbouring countries is one symptom of a complicated mix of overlapping crises.
President Bola Tinubu is now commander-in-chief of the armed forces in Nigeria, but unlike many previous Nigerian rulers, has no military experience.
He vowed during his inaugural speech to make security “the top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail against insecurity and violence.” The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain also promised to invest more in training and security equipment.
Analysts have said the security threats facing West Africa’s most populous nation and the region’s biggest economy are mainly due to limited resources, which leave Nigerian security forces often outgunned and outnumbered in violent hotspots.
Bandit kingpin killed in Kaduna
Earlier, TheTalk.NG reported that Dogo Isah, a notorious bandit leader infamous for terrorizing communities in Kaduna state, was killed in a violent clash with a rival faction in Kachia Forest.
The confrontation reportedly stemmed from a dispute over cattle rustling.
Isah, known for orchestrating high-profile attacks in Kachia and Kajuru local government areas (LGAs), died alongside two of his gang members during the gun battle.
Source: TheTalk.NG
