The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, has commended the leadership of the Defence Ministry and the Armed Forces for sustaining offensive operations against terrorists and other criminal networks across Nigeria. Agbese praised the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle; the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, for their strategic and operational leadership in the ongoing campaign against terrorism, banditry and other security threats.
According to Agbese, the military had moved beyond a reactive posture and was increasingly taking the battle to terrorist groups through sustained operations in the North-East, North-West and other theatres. He said the recent operational gains demonstrated the growing capacity of the Armed Forces to disrupt terrorist networks, rescue kidnapped civilians, recover weapons and ammunition, arrest suspects and compel insurgents to surrender. The operations have resulted in significant successes, including the neutralisation of 1,487 terrorists and insurgents and the rescue of 777 kidnapped victims in July and August.
The Defence Headquarters reported that troops conducted thousands of operations across the country in July and August, arresting 354 suspects and recovering 91 firearms, 1,331 rounds of ammunition and 44 improvised explosive devices. Agbese said the figures should be viewed against the backdrop of intensified military operations in the North-East and North-West, where troops have continued to target terrorist formations, logistics networks and their support structures. In the North-East, troops under Operation Hadin Kai have sustained offensive operations against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province elements.
In the North-East, Operation Hadin Kai has resulted in significant successes, including the neutralisation of 114 terrorists, arrest of 146 suspects and rescue of 60 kidnapped victims during operations in August. In the North-West, troops under Operation Fansan Yamma have maintained pressure on terrorist groups operating across Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states. Agbese said the evolving military strategy reflected greater reliance on intelligence, air power, ground operations and inter-agency cooperation to weaken terrorist networks and disrupt their command and logistics structures.
Agbese commended Matawalle for his contribution to the coordination of the Federal Government’s defence response and his engagement with the military leadership. He also praised Oluyede for strengthening cooperation among the Army, Navy, Air Force and other security agencies, saying greater inter-service collaboration had enhanced the effectiveness of operations across the country. The Chief of Defence Staff has previously attributed recent operational gains to sustained collaboration among the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, local security groups and other stakeholders.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, recently reported that operations under Operation Hadin Kai had resulted in the neutralisation of 1,993 terrorists, the arrest of 2,645 suspects and the rescue of 1,778 civilians during the period covered by the Army’s operational assessment. Agbese said the significance of the military campaign should not be measured solely by the number of terrorists neutralised or arrested, but also by the extent to which their logistics, command structures and freedom of movement were being disrupted. He also noted that the rescue of civilians, particularly women and children who had spent prolonged periods in captivity, remained an important measure of the security agencies’ effectiveness.
Agbese, however, cautioned against complacency, stressing that the gains recorded on the battlefield must be sustained through continued investment in military capability. He called for sustained investment in modern equipment, intelligence gathering, surveillance, logistics and the welfare of personnel, saying these were essential to maintaining the momentum of the ongoing operations. The lawmaker also urged Nigerians to support security agencies by providing credible and timely information that could assist in identifying terrorist hideouts, logistics networks and collaborators.
Key points
- The Nigerian military has sustained offensive operations against terrorists and other criminal networks across the country, resulting in significant successes.
- The operations have resulted in the neutralisation of 1,487 terrorists and insurgents and the rescue of 777 kidnapped victims in July and August.
- The lawmaker, Hon. Philip Agbese, commended the defence leadership for their strategic and operational leadership in the ongoing campaign against terrorism, banditry and other security threats.
