See the Numbers of Terrorists Killed, Arrested in 2024 – DHQ Reports
Since the beginning of 2024, Nigerian military operations have led to the elimination of 8,034 terrorists and the arrest of 11,623 individuals involved in criminal activities across the country. In addition to these achievements, the military rescued 6,376 kidnapped victims and recovered stolen crude oil worth over N57 billion.
These figures were disclosed by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Buba, during a biweekly briefing on military activities in Abuja on Thursday. He outlined the success of military operations, noting that troops had made significant progress in combating terrorism and other criminal activities.
“Since the start of the year, our forces have neutralized 8,034 terrorists, arrested 11,623 individuals, and rescued 6,376 hostages,” Buba reported. He also detailed the recovery of large quantities of stolen petroleum products, including 53,101,430 litres of crude oil, 9,179,181 litres of illegally refined AGO, 90,595 litres of DPK, and 156,095 litres of PMS, among other contraband.
Additionally, the military seized a substantial cache of arms, including 4,053 AK-47 rifles, 1,123 locally-made firearms, 731 Dane guns, and 240 pump-action guns. A total of 8,216 weapons and 211,459 rounds of ammunition were recovered during these operations.
Buba reaffirmed that the military is intensifying efforts to combat terrorism and other forms of criminality, ensuring that criminals are unable to carry out attacks on citizens. “We are continually improving our operations to ensure the safety of Nigerians,” he said, adding that military campaigns are gaining momentum toward defeating insurgents.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has urged operational commanders to enhance their strategic leadership skills to effectively tackle Nigeria’s national security challenges. He made this call during the inauguration of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre Leadership and Strategic Studies Course 3/2024, held in Abuja on Thursday.
Represented by Maj. Gen. Sani Mohammed, Chief of Training (Army), Lt. Gen. Oluyede emphasized that the course is designed to improve the leadership abilities of officers, preparing them to better handle the country’s evolving security landscape. He noted that the program covers critical areas such as leadership, national security, defense economics, and military strategy, with a special focus on bridging the gap between combatant and non-combatant officers.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, retired Maj. Gen. Garba Wahab, stressed the importance of equipping all officers—regardless of their specialization—with the necessary skills to address the country’s security challenges. “Security issues do not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants. All officers must be trained to meet the demands of modern security situations,” he stated.