Troops have recorded ‘significant progress’ in the fight against insurgents, ‘neutralising’ 10,937, arresting 12,538 and rescuing 7,063 hostages – but expert warns ‘war is far from won’.

The Nigerian military says it has recorded “significant progress” in the fight against insurgents – but a security analyst has warned “the war is far from won”.

Grema Kachalla Kyari, a security analyst based in Maiduguri, the capital Borno State in Nigeria’s northeast, said ordinary Nigerians and security forces needed to work together to tackle the war.

During a press briefing on operations conducted by Nigeria’s Armed Forces in 2024, Major-General Edward Buba, the director of defence media operations, said troops had “neutralised 10,937 terrorists, arrested 12,538, and rescued 7,063 hostages in the past 12 months”.

“During the year, troops significantly degraded the military capabilities as well as the fighting capabilities of terrorists,” Buba told journalists, adding that “the gains made in 2024 marked the beginning of a decisive defeat of terrorism in 2025”.

He said 16,171 “terrorist combatants” and their families had dropped their weapons and surrendered to troops of Operation Hadin Kai in the past year.

More than 1,000 “notable terrorist leaders, commanders and combatants were neutralised”, he said, including Dutse Mainasara Idda, Mallam Saleh Umaru, Mohammed Amadu, Chinemerem (also known as Bam Bam), Jeremiah Uzuoma (aka Escoba), Tochukwu Awo (aka Ojoto) and Egwuatu.

Troops recovered large caches of weapons, including 8,815 firearms and 228,004 assorted rounds of ammunition. Weapons included rifles, locally fabricated guns and pump-action firearms.

Troops also blocked the theft of oil worth ₦68.4 billion.

In the northeast, troops “topped the charts”, neutralising 3,151 members of different armed groups, arresting 2,503 suspects and rescuing 1,605 kidnap hostages.

In north central, the troops of Operation Safe Haven and Operation Whirl Stroke killed 1,047 “violent extremists”, arrested 3,001 suspects, and rescued 1,782 kidnap hostages.

In northwest, the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji killed 2,906 “terrorists”, arrested 1,826 suspects and rescued 2,616 kidnap hostages.

In south-south, the troops of the troops of Operation Delta Safe neutralised 78 terrorists, arrested 2,357 persons involved in theft of crude oil, and rescued 93 kidnap hostages.

They recovered 56,223,002 litres of stolen crude oil, 9,735,836 litres of illegally refined diesel and 156,527 litres of petrol.

They also blocked the theft of crude oil worth more than ₦68 billion.

“Troops recovered assorted weapons and ammunition; destroyed 2,019 wooden boats and 2,612 illegal oil refining sites.”

In southeast, troops of Operation UDO KA flushed out members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) from the “locations in which they hibernate”.

Buba said the troops intercepted and arrested terrorists, collaborators, gun runners and informants; 734 terrorists were neutralised, 974 suspects arrested and 372 kidnap hostages were rescued.

Buba said troops would continue to work in collaboration with neighbouring countries and regional bodies “to tackle the menace of terrorism”.

“Importantly, troops in the battlefield are in high spirits, fully committed, devoted and believe in the justness of the cause.”

Buba said the war was a “collective effort”.

“On the whole, the war is not for the armed forces alone, but for all citizens. The military therefore urges more citizens to support them – that is how we will win the war.”

Security analyst Kyari said it was crucial for ordinary Nigerians – particularly in the northeast – to continue to work with the military to tackle the insurgency.

“Despite the progress made, there is still a lot of work to be done. The war against insurgents is far from won. It is essential that citizens are aware of the security measures and do their part to support the military’s efforts.

“With 8,000-plus members of different armed groups eliminated in 2023 and more than 10,000 in 2024, it shows that there are still thousands of non-state gunmen out there. It is obvious that the problem is far from solved. The war is not over.”

Kyari said it was worth noting that the military’s efforts were not “just about eliminating armed groups”, but also about denying them the resources they needed to operate.

“The fact that the troops have been able to block thieves from stealing oil estimated at more than ₦68 billion is a significant blow to the armed groups, who rely on these illegal activities to fund their operations.

“Overall, while there is still much work to be done, the Nigerian military’s progress in the fight against terrorism is a positive step in the right direction.

“With continued support from citizens and the international community, it is possible to overcome the menace of terrorism and create a safer, more secure Nigeria for all.”

AYSHA MUSTAPHA KOLOMI