Nigerian Troops Killed 6, 886 Terrorists, Arrested 6,970 Others in 2023 – Defence Headquarters

Some 6,886 terrorists and criminals were killed were killed by troops of the Nigerian military in 2023 while another 6,970 were arrested during the same period as soldiers fight to end terrorism and banditry in the country.

Major General Edward Buba, Director Defence Media Operations told journalists on while reviewing the performance of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in 2023 said: “During the period troops neutralized 6,886 terrorists and other criminal elements. Troops arrested 6,970 suspects, rescued 4,488 kidnapped hostages as well as recovered 3,320 assorted weapons and 39,075 assorted ammunition. Additionally, troops recovered 100,316,600 litres of crude oil, 60,339,426 litres of AGO, 3,465,450 litres of DPK and 3,544,990 litres of PMS.

“The security situation in Year 2023 has remained fluid, complex and dynamic with the threat morphing in form and scale. This unpredictable nature of the threat and the attendant demands for stability have continued to pose significant challenges for security forces. Consequently, various forces have continued to evolve Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTP) to professionally respond to these threats.

“The armed forces has been developing the desired enablers to overcome the country’s numerous threats.
Notably, the application of kinetic and non-kinetic efforts in collaboration with other Services and security agencies has continued to shape the operating environment, in which we are in a dominant position.

“Additionally, attention was given to providing relevant resources to enhance troops’ capacity to defeat the threats. The cumulative outcome of these efforts is reflected in increased stability achieved across the various theatres of operations. Troops are in a dominant position and are winning the war”, General Buba insisted.

Giving details, the spokesman said: “The major security threats within the year 2023 were terrorism, armed banditry, kidnapping, oil theft, secessionist agitations and farmers-herders clashes.

“The threat dynamics were however defined along geo-political zones with some permeating across the regional lines.

“The predominant threat in the North Central (NC) and North West (NW) regions is armed banditry/terrorism while the Boko Haram Terrorists/Islamic State West African Province lingering insurgency remained the main threat in the North East (NE) region.

“The major threat in the South-East (SE) and South-West (SW) was the secessionist agitations of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Yoruba Nation respectively.

“The South-South (SS) region continued to experience oil theft, cultism and youth restiveness. However, acts of criminalities such as kidnapping, armed robbery, communal clashes and cattle rustling were common across the 6 geopolitical zones”.

General Buba added: “It is pertinent to point out that most security threats in the country were fueled by the proliferation of small arms exacerbated by the influx of illegal arms and ammunition through our porous borders and the preponderance of local arms fabrication factories in the country. Thus, the armed forces kinetic and non-kinetic efforts were geared towards tackling these threats in all the geo-political zones.”

Below is the Report on military operations as presented by the soldiers:

REPORT ON ANNUAL REVIEW OF JOINT TASK FORCE OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES FROM JANUARY – DECEMBER 2023

JOINT TASK FORCE OPERATION HADIN KAI (NORTH EAST)

1. Details as follows:

Serial Op Activity Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Rmks
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p)

1. Neutralized Terrorists 65 86 74 103 83 77 75 215 296 223 254 276 1,759
2. Surrendered BHT/Families 763 596 831 783 702 1,528 2,347 685 764 423 634 959 11,015
3. Arrested Terrorists 102 68 45 101 56 95 103 78 76 96 57 76 953
4. Rescued Hostages 66 55 106 34 23 20 97 101 75 88 67 94 826
5. Recovered Weapons 98 43 25 52 45 41 69 59 89 59 34 67 681
6. Recovered Ammunition 1,230 984 653 1,043 567 672 390 133 254 3,457 485 953 10,821
7. Equipment Recovered 94 56 43 95 45 – 74 45 36 74 104 73 739
8. Livestock Recovered 465 32 – 74 – – 155 3 321 105 653 251 2,059

SUMMARY

2. Some of the features recorded by troops in the North East, Operation HADIN KAI in year 2023 are 1,759 terrorist neutralized, 953 arrested suspects, 826 rescued hostages and 11,015 surrendered BH/ISWAP terrorists fighters and their families. The following were recovered 259 AK47 rifles, 9 FN rifles, 681 assorted arms, 7,097 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 5,773 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 495,336 assorted ammunitions and 2,059 livestock.

JOINT TASK FORCE OPERATION HADARIN DAJI (NORTH WEST)

11. Details are as follows;

Serial Op Activity Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Rmks
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p)

1. Neutralized Terrorists 101 98 76 68 96 82 161 148 203 144 139 206 1,522
2. Arrested Terrorists 56 78 34 97 43 31 51 34 67 50 55 49 645
3. Rescued Hostages 98 56 106 98 67 64 216 79 100 74 56 87 1,101
4. Weapon Recovered 45 30 34 23 65 25 23 51 70 18 23 19 426
5. Ammunition Recovered 986 1,022 654 234 698 664 177 85 104 734 975 567 6,900
6. Equipment Recovered 35 23 45 24 18 65 51 44 43 34 26 39 447
7. Livestock Recovered 563 230 354 276 1,107 1,256 414 27 56 130 107 564 5,084

SUMMARY

12. Some of the features recorded by troops in the North West Operation HADARIN DAJI in year 2023 are 1,522 terrorist neutralized, 645 arrested suspects and 1,101 rescued hostages. The following were recovered 53 AK47 rifles, 426 assorted arms, 2,342 rounds of 7.62mm special, 6,900 assorted ammunitions and 5,084 livestock.

JOINT TASK FORCE OPERATION SAFE HAVEN (NORTH CENTRAL)

4. Details are as follows:
   Serial Op Activity Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Rmks
   (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p)
5. Neutralized Terrorists 34 23 42 52 48 69 189 182 316 382 380 377 2,094
6. Arrested Suspects 74 230 132 198 76 62 160 255 244 345 310 230 2,316
7. Rescued Hostages 43 53 34 42 53 40 78 62 45 56 31 96 630
8. Weapons Recovered 98 47 85 32 23 15 28 39 86 46 76 89 664
9. Ammunitions Recovered 650 450 670 1,323 960 190 480 90 103 987 564 890 7,357
10. Livestock Recovered 450 104 76 102 653 751 646 325 336 327 723 241 4,734

SUMMARY

5. Some of the features recorded by troops in the North Central Operation SAFE HAVEN in year 2023 are 2,094
   terrorists neutralized, 2,316 arrested suspects and 630 rescued hostages. The following were recovered 78 AK47 rifles, 666 assorted arms, 4,772 rounds of 7.62mm special, 7357 assorted ammunitions and 4,734 livestock.

OPERATION WHIRL STROKE (NORTH CENTRAL)

7. Details are as follows:
   Serial Op Activity Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Rmks
   (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p)
8. Neutralized Terrorists 45 43 63 56 42 31 109 134 119 143 135 177 977
9. Arrested terrorists 96 76 67 54 87 56 48 – 56 96 34 52 722
10. Rescued Hostages 18 22 17 43 34 28 34 26 77 63 95 114 571
11. Weapons Recovered 23 9 14 27 19 11 5 21 6 15 19 29 198
12. Ammunition recovered 87 103 67 234 543 – – 68 56 98 321 89 1,666
13. Equipment Recovered 10 34 11 17 21 15 30 82 45 32 26 15 338

SUMMARY

8. Some of the features recorded by troops in the North Central Operation WHIRL STROKE in year 2023 are 977 terrorists neutralized, 722 arrested suspects and 571 rescued hostages. The following were recovered 45 AK47 rifles, 198 assorted arms, 952 rounds of 7.62mm special, 1,666 assorted ammunitions and 338 livestock.

JOINT TASK FORCE OPERATION WHIRL PUNCH (NORTH WEST)

11. Details are as follows;

Serial Op Activity Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Rmks
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p)

1. Neutralized Terrorists 23 32 16 17 34 11 119 127 112 159 174 168 992
2. Arrested Terrorists 34 32 67 24 11 15 19 32 29 30 27 25 345
3. Rescued Hostages 39 46 36 22 33 45 37 56 49 74 49 52 538
4. Weapon Recovered 65 22 46 15 11 32 17 26 29 36 28 19 346
5. Ammunition Recovered 195 67 332 56 100 385 375 56 2,000 205 271 1,085 5,127
6. Equipment Recovered 7 12 32 27 9 56 45 31 21 26 51 31 348
7. Livestock Recovered – 23 – 276 271 105 – – 34 67 19 35 830
   SUMMARY
8. Some of the features recorded by troops in the North West Operation WHIRL PUNCH in year 2023 are 992 terrorist neutralized, 345arrested suspects and 538 rescued hostages. The following were recovered 34 AK47 rifles, 346 assorted arms, 4,792 rounds of 7.62mm special, 5,127 assorted ammunitions and 830 livestock.

JOINT TASK FORCE OPERATION DELTA SAFE (SOUTH SOUTH)

15. Details as follows:

Serial Op Activity Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Rmks
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p)

1. Neutralized Terrorists 20 18 23 16 10 25 41 53 55 58 60 69 448
2. Arrested Terrorists 103 122 110 71 77 22 85 84 54 164 128 70 1,090
3. Rescued Hostages 7 13 22 9 17 14 32 36 51 48 32 28 309
4. Weapons recovered 50 72 18 14 28 15 34 32 22 12 10 14 321
5. Boats destroyed 76 80 61 66 98 66 84 99 118 131 103 34 1,016
6. Barges/vessels destroyed 3 – – 1 2 2 – 1 3 1 2 1 16
7. Illegal refining sites 86 102 141 119 149 119 121 86 78 126 120 127 1,374
8. Vehicles 25 22 29 39 30 29 22 20 22 38 38 20 334

SUMMARY

16. Some of the features recorded by troops in the South South Operation DELTA SAFE in year 2023 are 448 terrorist neutralized, 1,090oil thefts and other suspected criminals and 309 rescued hostages. Also, oil theft were denied 100,316,600 litres of crude oil, 60,339,426 litres of AGO, 3,465,450 litres of DPK and 3,544,990 litres of PMS. Additionally, troops recovered 321 assorted weapons and destroyed 1,016 wooden boats, 16 barges/vessels and 1,374 illegal refining sites.

JOINT TASK FORCE OPERATION UDO KA (SOUTH EAST)

18. Details are as follows:

Serial Op Activity Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total Rmks
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p)

1. Neutralized Terrorists 22 14 36 27 24 23 52 45 56 50 53 62 464
2. Arrested Terrorists 74 96 166 71 57 76 77 12 73 102 56 47 907
3. Rescued Hostages 28 34 37 31 24 36 61 43 48 56 66 54 518
4. Weapons Recovered 104 95 102 99 60 19 24 20 28 59 28 46 684
5. Ammunitions Recovered 166 1,140 130 3,380 141 189 60 71 100 246 68 134 5,825
6. Equipment Recovered 54 71 48 44 31 30 78 58 33 86 41 56 630

SUMMARY

19. Some of the features recorded by troops in the South East Operation UDO KA in year 2023 are 464 terrorists
    neutralized, 907 arrested suspects and 518 rescued hostages. The following were recovered 65 AK47 rifles, 150 pump action guns, 53 dane guns, 85 pistols, 684 assorted arms, 1,082 rounds of 7.62mm special, 4,371 live cartridges, 5,825 assorted ammunitions and 630 other equipment.

EDWARD BUBA
Major General
Director Defence Media Operations