DHQ: Troops Kill over 102 Terrorists, Criminals, Apprehend 345 in July

*Security Summit: FG to establish regional database, deploy drones, CCTV, in southeast*2027: Fears mount as political

thuggery resurfaces amid alleged recruitment, arming of groups

*Stakeholders say cross-border collaboration key to ending kidnapping, sit-at-home enforcement

Linus Aleke in Abuja and Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano and Boniface Okoro in Umuahia

Troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces neutralised over 102 terrorists and criminal elements across various theatres of operation in July, as part of ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity and restore peace across the country, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said.
The development comes as the federal government announced plans to establish a shared regional security database and deploy drones, CCTV and other technology in the southeast to combat kidnapping, armed robbery and other crimes.

However, even as security agencies intensify efforts to curb terrorism and violent crime, fresh concerns are emerging over politically motivated violence ahead of the 2027 general election, with reports indicating that some political actors are recruiting and mobilising armed groups in parts of the country.

Furthermore, the DHQ also disclosed that troops arrested 345 terrorists and criminals, rescued 393 kidnapped civilians and recovered 59 arms and 1,118 rounds of ammunition during the period.
The Director of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this yesterday, during the monthly operational briefing, adding that 57 insurgents surrendered to troops within the month.

Providing a breakdown of the operations, Onoja said troops in the North-East neutralised 54 fighters, arrested 102 terrorists, rescued 102 kidnapped victims and facilitated the surrender of 57 insurgents and their families.
In the North-West, troops under Operation Fansan Yamma neutralised 33 fighters, arrested 66 terrorists and rescued 191 kidnapped victims. Similarly, troops operating across the three theatres in the North-Central region killed 15 terrorists, arrested 148 suspects and rescued 53 victims during the month under review.

In the South-South and South-East regions, troops rescued a combined total of 47 victims, comprising 37 in the South-South and 10 in the South-East, while 29 criminal elements were arrested—three in the South-South and 26 in the South-East.
Onoja also disclosed that troops of Operation Delta Safe sustained anti-kidnapping and economic protection operations across Akwa Ibom, Edo and Rivers States, dismantling 18 illegal refining sites and recovering over 250,500 litres of petroleum products.

He said that on July 4, troops dismantled a major illegal refining complex in the Egboama/Ogbogolo area of Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, deactivating three refining sites and recovering stolen crude oil and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil.

“This was reinforced on 5 and 7 July with the deactivation of two other illegal refining sites within the Orashi National Forest. Troops discovered additional illegal refining sites within Ogbogolo community, Ahoada East LGA, during operations conducted from 11 to 22 July.

“Specifically, anti-oil theft operations conducted on 19 and 22 July resulted in the discovery of five illegal bunkering camps at Egboama and Egbogolo areas. Subsequently, approximately 25,000 litres of stolen crude and 2,000 litres of suspected illegal Premium Motor Spirit at Okrika, Okrika LGA, were recovered.”

Security Summit: FG to Establish Regional Database, Deploy Drones, CCTV, in Southeast

Meanwhile, the federal government has announced plans to establish a shared regional security database and deploy drones, CCTV and other technology in the Southeast to combat kidnapping, armed robbery and other crimes.
This was contained in a communique issued at the end of the maiden one-day Southeast Regional Security Summit 2026 held in Umuahia on Thursday, July 30, 2026. The summit had as theme: “Collaborative Approaches to Strengthening Security and Regional Stability.”

Convened by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, South-East, and hosted by the Abia State Government, the summit observed that although security in the region had improved, threats persist from kidnapping, armed robbery, politically motivated violence, attacks on security personnel, illicit arms proliferation, cultism, drug abuse, misinformation and violent enforcement of unlawful sit-at-home orders.
Delivering the communique, Special Assistant to the Minister of Defence, Rear Admiral Oluwale Bankole, Rtd, said insecurity in the Southeast transcends state boundaries, making isolated state-level responses inadequate.

“No single government, no single institution, no single security agency or state can effectively address the prevailing security challenges without sustained regional collaboration, coordinated action, and the active participation of all stakeholders,” he said.
On implementation, Bankole said the Minister of Defence has set up a technical team to develop an implementation framework. He explained that the Southeast summit would be harmonised with similar regional engagements, with the next scheduled for North-Central in Makurdi on August 30 and 31.

Key implementation measures agreed included the development of a shared regional database of wanted persons, criminal networks, kidnappers, arms traffickers, drug dealers, stolen vehicles and other assets linked to crime.
“We cannot operate without a database. Even if you go into technology, we all need to be on one data, so that if you are committing a crime in Enugu, it can be detected in Abia,” Bankole said, adding that National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) officials had already met with the Minister to discuss integration.

The summit also called for greater investments in drones, geospatial mapping, CCTV systems, automated vehicle identification, digital databases, emergency communication platforms, and professionally managed surveillance infrastructure, noting that checkpoints alone were insufficient against mobile and technologically enabled criminal groups.
Stakeholders further resolved that security is a shared responsibility requiring the involvement of federal, state and local governments, security agencies, traditional institutions, religious leaders, town unions, civil society, private sector, media, youth and women groups, transport unions and citizens.

The communique identified unemployment, youth frustration, drug abuse, political manipulation and inadequate government presence as factors that criminal elements exploit. It stressed that peace and security are fundamental to economic prosperity, investment, agriculture, education and social stability in the region.
The summit also called for strengthening the judicial process to ensure timely investigation, prosecution and punishment of offenders to reinforce deterrence and public confidence.
The summit concluded that sustainable peace in the Southeast depends on coordinated regional action, technology-driven policing, and inclusive stakeholder engagement.

2027: Fears Mount as Political Thuggery Resurfaces Amid Alleged Recruitment, Arming of Groups

Concerns are mounting over the resurgence of political thuggery ahead of the 2027 general election, amid reports that political actors are recruiting and mobilising armed groups in parts of the country.
Security experts warned that, if left unchecked, the trend could undermine peaceful political participation, threaten public safety and erode the credibility of the electoral process, prompting calls on security agencies, political parties and other stakeholders to take decisive action to ensure peaceful, free and fair elections.

Attempts to get the reaction of top officials of the Nigeria Police Force was futile as they declined to respond to THISDAY’s enquiries.
The concerns over rising cases of political thuggery were heightened by a rise in reported violent attacks involving political opponents, alongside allegations that some convicted street gang members were being released from prison under the guise of executive clemency to serve as political thugs.

In Osun State, allegations and counter-allegations of intimidation, harassment and politically motivated arrests underscore the tense political atmosphere already building ahead of the 2027 general elections. .
In Delta State, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s protocol aide, Simon Mudi (Temple) and the Commissioner for Works (Urban/Highways), Reuben Izeze, during the Delta Central APC Stakeholders’ meeting at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, were recently attacked.

Equally, there are allegations that some political candidates and incumbents were securing the release of incarcerated militia members under the guise of executive clemency or political amnesty to serve as political enforcers.  In Kano, there are allegations that those released belong to various Yan Daba factions— street gangs associated with localised crime and drug abuse.
Commenting on the development, security expert and former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mike Ejiofor, said politicians were becoming increasingly desperate and warned that the 2027 general election could be marred by violence unless urgent action was taken.

He noted that the assault on the Delta State Governor’s aide, without any visible intervention by security agencies, underscored the seriousness of the situation.

On measures to prevent a recurrence, Ejiofor said: “The politicians are the ones stockpiling arms, and the security agencies must ensure that these weapons are recovered. There should also be close monitoring of desperate political actors, particularly by the intelligence agencies.

“If INEC conducts a credible election, many of them will not emerge victorious, which is why they are attempting to manipulate the process. They are doing everything possible to ensure they win, but I can assure you that they will also face the full weight of the security agencies.”

Similarly, former FCT Commissioner of Police, Lawrence Alobi (Rtd), called on the Nigeria Police Force to prioritise the recovery of illegal arms ahead of the 2027 general election, warning that the proliferation of firearms poses a grave threat to both the electoral process and national security. He urged the Police to establish a dedicated task force to identify, recover and remove illegal weapons from unauthorised persons, while strengthening intelligence gathering, closely monitoring political actors and enforcing electoral laws.

According to him, “The proliferation of illegal arms remains a major concern. The Police should establish a dedicated task force to identify, recover and remove illegal arms from unauthorised persons. If this is done before the election, it will go a long way towards curbing violence, particularly the use of firearms against innocent citizens.”

Also speaking, security expert Umar Bologi said that guaranteeing peaceful, free and transparent elections in 2027 would require security and intelligence agencies to adopt a proactive rather than reactive approach.