*As military shifts focus to dismantling criminal networks
Linus Aleke in Abuja
Troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) killed 662 terrorists and other criminal elements, arrested 1,084 suspects and rescued 951 kidnapped victims across the country during the second quarter of 2026, as the military intensified intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling terrorist and criminal networks beyond conventional battlefield engagements.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said the successes were recorded through sustained joint land operations, close air support and intelligence-driven missions conducted across the various theatres of operation nationwide.
According to him, the Armed Forces “recorded significant and far-reaching operational successes across all operational theatres during the month of June as well as the Second Quarter 2026,” noting that troops “systematically degraded the operational capabilities of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), as well as kidnapping syndicates, illegal oil bunkering cartels, and cross-border arms traffickers.”
