No fewer than 27 kidnap victims were rescued and eight armed men killed by troops across northern Nigeria in coordinated operations between November 29 and December 1, 2025.
The operations, covering the North-East, North-Central, and North-West, targeted insurgents, kidnappers, and criminal networks, resulting in no fewer than 51 arrests and the recovery of weapons, explosives, and stolen property.
Details of the missions emerged on Tuesday, via a statement by the Nigerian Army, based on field reports covering activities between November 29 and December 1, 2025, including operations in the North-East, North-Central, and North-West regions.
These deployments involved ambush responses, clearance patrols, anti-kidnapping raids, and joint missions with other security agencies.
In the North-East theatre, soldiers drawn from the 151 Task Force Battalion, 152 Task Force Battalion, and 192 Battalion confronted ISWAP and Boko Haram elements in multiple engagements.
Four insurgents were killed, and troops recovered a haul of weapons, including AK-47 rifles, magazines loaded with assorted rounds, a Baofeng radio, and other battlefield items. No hostages were found during these missions, though forces countered infiltration attempts around Chibok.
Across Plateau, Taraba, Benue, Kogi, and Kaduna, operations carried out by troops attached to WHIRL STROKE and ENDURING PEACE led to the rescue of 20 kidnapped persons, with soldiers detaining suspected kidnappers, human traffickers, extremist collaborators, illegal miners, cult members, and a gunrunner—bringing total arrests during the period to 51.
In Taraba, four violent extremists were eliminated in response to a communal clash, with troops recovering firearms, ammunition, and motorcycles, while 76 rustled cattle were recovered in Plateau and returned to their owners.
Meanwhile, operations in Delta State also yielded arrests and the recovery of a locally made pistol, cartridges, and seized phones.
Troops in the South-South shut down an illegal refining site holding about 1,000 litres of stolen crude, while joint raids with the NDLEA resulted in 25 drug-related arrests.
Furthermore, a major security alert in Kaduna saw soldiers intercept vehicles transporting 5,000 kg of gelignite explosives, thousands of metres of cordtex fuse, and other bomb-making materials, prompting an investigation involving multiple agencies.
One of the most significant breakthroughs during the operations was the arrest of suspected arms trafficker Shuaibu Isah, known as Alhaji, who was intercepted while attempting to receive 1,000 rounds of ammunition from fleeing accomplices. The army described his arrest as a major disruption to illicit weapons supply chains.
According to the Army, these latest offensives are part of a broader effort to dismantle dispersed terror cells, disrupt supply lines, and block the movement of armed groups exploiting ungoverned spaces.
It further reiterated its commitment to safeguard Nigerians and ensure that terrorists, criminals, and their collaborators are denied safe havens.
