Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have neutralised 25 Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists during a failed attack on Kukawa town in Borno State.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this in a statement at the weekend.
He said the operation involved an hours-long gun battle supported by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
According to him, the terrorists attempted to infiltrate Kukawa on the night of October 6, but troops repelled the assault in an engagement that lasted several hours and extended into the morning of October 7.
Onoja said troops recovered six AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, 797 rounds of PKT ammunition, three rocket-propelled grenade bombs, an anti-tank bomb and other equipment from the terrorists.
He said the operation was part of sustained military offensives against insurgents in the North-East and other parts of the country between October 2 and 8.
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👉 JOIN GISTSMATE WHATSAPP CHANNELThe military spokesperson said the Armed Forces of Nigeria had continued to confront terrorist attacks, rescue abducted citizens and disrupt the leadership and logistics networks of violent extremist groups.
In other operations in the Northeast, troops foiled a terrorist attack on Abakurari village in Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State on October 5, killing one terrorist and recovering an AK-47 rifle.
On October 6, troops also recovered two gunboat guns mounted on a riverbank at Kwatan Kuwait in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. An AK-47 rifle was recovered at Mairari in Guzamala Local Government Area.
The military also recorded successes in rescuing abducted persons and disrupting terrorist support networks.
Onoja said troops rescued two female abductees around the Kuranabasa axis of Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State on October 4, while three escapees from terrorist captivity in Cameroon were handed over to the Cameroonian Rapid Intervention Battalion at Kirawa the following day.
He added that three abductees who had reportedly been held for seven years were rescued around Armuda in Gwoza Local Government Area on October 8. Three other abductees were also rescued in the Gava area of the same local government.
The troops also recorded the surrender of insurgents and their associates. On October 5, a terrorist, two women and their children surrendered at Ngurusoye village in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State. Another terrorist surrendered in Monguno after escaping from a camp at Tumbunma village in the Lake Chad region.
The military further reported the arrest of 12 suspected collaborators and smugglers allegedly transporting fish from the Niger Republic at Kanama in Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State on October 3.
Police arrested a suspected logistics supplier at Mubi Market in Mubi North Local Government Area of Adamawa State on October 4. A high-profile terrorist was also arrested in Magumeri, Borno State, on October 5, while another suspected terrorist was apprehended along the Pulka-Firgi Road in Gwoza Local Government Area on October 6.
Beyond the Northeast, troops of Operation Fansan Yamma killed 10 Lakurawa terrorists while repelling an attempted attack in Maiyama Local Government Area of Kebbi State on October 7.
According to Onoja, the attackers arrived on more than 100 motorcycles and were armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. The surviving assailants reportedly abandoned their weapons and fled.
Troops recovered 17 motorcycles, a machine gun, an AK-47 rifle, assorted ammunition and a communication device.
In the South-East, troops of Operation Udo Ka rescued 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in the Umunoha axis of Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State on October 1.
A local woman who had also been abducted while travelling to the market was rescued alongside the prospective corps members at Ndegwu community in Owerri West Local Government Area on October 7, Onoja said.
He added that troops were continuing search operations to locate and arrest those responsible for the abductions.
The military spokesperson also confirmed the killing of a senior ISWAP commander, Abdussamad Ohida, in Owo forest, Ondo State, on October 2.
He said Ohida was deputy to the leader of ISWAP’s Central Nigeria faction and assumed leadership after the Department of State Services arrested its leader in 2023.
According to the military, investigations indicated that Ohida had been planning large-scale attacks against civilians in some southern states during the forthcoming festive season.
The DHQ described his killing as a major setback to the group’s efforts to expand its operational presence in Nigeria.
Onoja said the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, commended troops for their courage and professionalism across the various theatres of operation and paid tribute to personnel who died in the defence of the country.
Oluyede urged troops to remain vigilant, disciplined and prepared, particularly as the festive season approaches.
He also called on security agencies to sustain intelligence sharing and joint planning, while urging traditional rulers, community leaders and citizens to reject and promptly report anyone providing support to terrorists and other criminal groups, Onoja said.
The CDS assured Nigerians that the Armed Forces would sustain the tempo of operations until peace and security were restored across the country.
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