ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Armed Forces of Nigeria rescued 655 kidnapping victims and engaged in 367 operational encounters across various regional theatres during September, the Defence Headquarters disclosed in its latest monthly security briefing in Abuja. Addressing newsmen at the Defence Headquarters operational press conference, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, provided a comprehensive breakdown of ongoing multi-front operations aimed at neutralising non-state armed groups and stabilising vulnerable rural communities across the country.
According to official figures released by the military high command, the Joint Task Force operations logged significant activity across northern operational zones, with Operation Enduring Peace recording 147 operational engagements, Operation Fansan Yamma registering 115 incidents, and Operation Whirl Stroke reporting 55 confrontations.
Major General Onoja emphasised that frontline troops maintained a proactive combat posture throughout the month under review, utilising superior firepower, tactical manoeuvres, and joint intelligence assets to repel hostile incursions, safeguard critical national infrastructure, and restore stability to besieged agrarian settlements. Meanwhile, maritime security operations in the Niger Delta under the auspices of Operation Delta Safe recorded zero major hostile attacks over the same thirty-day period, reflecting sustained stability across key energy sectors and coastal waterways.
The Defence Headquarters reiterated its commitment to sustaining relentless pressure on insurgent networks, bandit enclaves, and organised criminal cartels across all geopolitical zones.
The military’s operational update coincides with fresh legislative interventions by the National Assembly aimed at addressing systemic security vulnerabilities through institutional reform and inter-agency collaboration. The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, announced during a plenary session that the upper legislative chamber will convene a two-day National Security Summit scheduled for 12–13 October at the International Conference Centre in Abuja. Operating under the theme “Strengthening Nigeria’s National Security Architecture: Innovation, Collaboration and Resilience in a Changing World,” the high-level summit is expected to bring together service chiefs, heads of paramilitary agencies, intelligence experts, traditional rulers, and regional stakeholders to deliberate on optimising intelligence sharing, modernising equipment procurement, and integrating community-led security structures into the overarching national framework.
In parallel with federal military engagements, police authorities are escalating tactical operations to address emergent localised security threats across the states. Following the recent abduction of prospective National Youth Service Corps members along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, directed the immediate deployment of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Umar Nadada, alongside two Commissioners of Police, to oversee search-and-rescue efforts. Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, confirmed that specialised tactical units, intelligence tracking teams, and drone surveillance assets have been fully integrated into the ongoing rescue mission.
Federal security agencies continue to urge members of the public to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities to local police divisions, and leverage established community-policing channels as joint operations intensify across major transport corridors and border communities nationwide.
