Nigerian soldiers killed 102 suspected terrorists, other criminals in July, rescued 393 hostages

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops conducting military operations across Nigeria killed more than 102 terrorists, criminals, illegal miners and informants, arrested 486 suspects and rescued 393 kidnapped victims during operations in July.

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The figures were contained in an infographic released by the DHQ on Thursday, summarising ongoing military operations conducted nationwide during the month.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the Defence Headquarters began publishing monthly operational infographics earlier this year. So far, it has released summaries covering January, February, March, May, June and July, with no infographic published for April

In its latest release, the DHQ said 57 insurgents also surrendered to troops during the period.

The infographic showed that troops destroyed 18 illegal refining sites and other criminal infrastructure as part of operations targeting oil theft and economic sabotage, particularly in the Niger Delta.

It also stated that security forces recovered more than 250,500 litres of illegally refined petroleum products during the operations.

In addition, troops recovered 1,870 weapons, ammunition and other military supplies from terrorists and criminal groups operating in different parts of the country.

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The Defence Headquarters did not provide a breakdown of where the operations took place or specify the regions where the arrests, recoveries and rescues occurred. It also did not identify the categories of suspects included in the figures, beyond describing them as terrorists, criminals, illegal miners and informants.

The military has maintained that sustained offensives under various operations across the country are aimed at degrading the operational capabilities of terrorist groups, armed bandits, oil thieves and other criminal networks.

Nigeria’s fight against insecurity

Nigeria continues to face multiple security challenges, including the Boko Haram insurgency and ISWAP attacks in the North-east, armed banditry in the North-west, kidnapping for ransom across several states, separatist violence in parts of the South-east and oil theft in the Niger Delta.

The military has intensified coordinated land and air operations in recent months, frequently reporting the arrest or killing of suspected terrorists and criminals, the rescue of kidnap victims and the recovery of weapons. However, independent verification of military casualty figures is often difficult because many operations take place in remote or inaccessible areas.

Operational updates for the first half of 2026 indicate sustained offensives across multiple theatres, according to DHQ data analysed by PREMIUM TIMES.

In January, troops arrested 451 suspects, rescued 277 kidnapped victims, destroyed 53 illegal refining sites and recovered more than 282,000 litres of crude oil and refined petroleum products. The military also announced the killing of 10 terrorist commanders and lieutenants.

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In February, the DHQ reported that 46 insurgents surrendered, 354 suspects were arrested, and 409 kidnapped victims were rescued, while troops destroyed 32 illegal refining sites and recovered over 175,000 litres of petroleum products and ₦2.44 million in cash.

Operations intensified in March, when the military said 197 insurgents surrendered, 1,359 suspected terrorists and other criminals were arrested, 103 suspects were killed, and 813 kidnapped victims were rescued. Troops also destroyed 104 illegal refining sites, recovered 254 firearms and more than 216,000 litres of illegally refined petroleum products.

The military reported another 317 suspects killed, 314 arrested, and 221 hostages rescued in May, alongside the recovery of 93 firearms and more than 21,900 litres of illegally refined petroleum products. In June, it said 129 suspects were killed, 486 arrested, and 542 kidnapped victims rescued, while 11 insurgents surrendered. Troops also recovered 5,668 weapons, ammunition and supplies, and more than 308,000 litres of illegally refined petroleum products.