By Bavoriat Clara
The Defence Headquarters has announced that the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) intensified coordinated military operations across all regions of the country in November, applying simultaneous pressure on terrorist groups, bandit networks and criminal gangs in what it described as a strategic nationwide surge.
Speaking during the monthly briefing in Abuja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said the security forces strengthened joint operations involving land and air components, enabling troops to degrade criminal strongholds, prevent attacks and rescue civilians held captive in remote locations. He noted that the expanded operations reflected a deliberate effort by the military to deny terrorists freedom of action and disrupt their supply chains.
According to him, ground troops and air assets carried out precision missions in the North East, overrunning multiple hideouts used by Boko Haram, ISWAP and JAS fighters. Several extremists were neutralised, informants and collaborators arrested, and kidnapped civilians rescued during sweeping operations across Borno and Adamawa States. Air missions in Dikwa, New Marte and Gajibo supported the ground advances and contributed to the destruction of camps and equipment.
In the North West, the military executed a series of coordinated operations across Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa and Kebbi States, striking bandit enclaves and breaking up criminal activities. Air interdictions in Katsina State destroyed logistics hubs and eliminated fighters, while ground troops recovered arms, vehicles and rustled livestock, in addition to arresting suspects and rescuing kidnap victims.
Troops also intensified responses to violent incidents in Plateau and Kaduna States, while conducting raid operations in Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Kogi and parts of the FCT. These missions led to the arrest of several suspects, the dismantling of extremist structures and the rescue of abducted persons.
In the South South, the military disrupted oil theft networks and illegal refining activities, destroying sites, arresting suspects and recovering thousands of litres of stolen products. Operations in Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and Imo States blocked several attempts to sabotage oil infrastructure and prevented losses estimated at millions of naira.
Security forces in the South East maintained an aggressive posture against armed groups, conducting operations that resulted in the neutralisation of terrorists, arrests of suspects and recovery of weapons, vehicles and improvised explosive device components. Air strikes in Ezeagu LGA, according to the Defence Headquarters, destroyed hideouts and dislodged fighters attempting to regroup.
Maj Gen Onoja commended the troops for sustaining pressure across multiple fronts and urged the public to continue providing reliable information to support the operations. He also appealed for continued national support for the Armed Forces Remembrance Day emblem launched by the President on 2 December, assuring Nigerians that the military has intensified efforts to secure the students recently abducted and is taking all necessary measures to ensure their safe return.
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