Nigeria’s military has killed dozens of militia group leaders and hundreds of fighters across the country during a renewed offensive in the third quarter of the year, according to a statement by military spokesperson Major-General Edward Buba on Thursday.
The country continues to grapple with various security challenges, including a 15-year Islamist insurgency in the northeast, separatist violence in the southeast, widespread oil theft in the Niger Delta, and kidnappings by criminal gangs, known as bandits, in the northwest.
“Troops’ offensive actions culminated in the neutralization of 65 notable terrorist leaders, commanders, and combatants across all theaters of operations,” said Buba.
In total, during the third quarter, Nigerian forces reportedly eliminated 1,937 terrorists, arrested 2,782 suspects, and rescued 1,854 hostages. Among the militants killed was Halilu Sububu, a wanted bandit leader with a bounty of five million naira placed on him by the military in 2022.
President Bola Tinubu recently directed top military leaders to relocate to Sokoto, one of the regions hardest hit by bandit violence, resulting in increased military operations, including airstrikes and ground assaults, against armed groups.
