Abuja: The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) reports that successful operations conducted by Nigeria’s security agencies in July and August highlight an increasingly coordinated, intelligence-driven approach to tackling terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, arms trafficking, and other emerging security threats.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, this information is contained in a third-quarter national security update delivered by Chido Onumah, Special Adviser to the National Security Adviser on Strategic Communication and Civil Society Liaison. Onumah detailed that the security agencies executed 7,062 operations, resulting in the neutralization of 1,487 terrorists and insurgents and the rescue of 777 kidnapped victims nationwide during this period.
The operations also led to the arrest of 354 suspects and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, and Improvised Explosive Devices. Onumah emphasized the growing importance of intelligence-sharing and operational coordination among security and law-enforcement agencies, stressing that no single institution could secure Nigeria on its own.
The Nigeria Police Force also reported significant gains through intelligence-led operations, arresting 1,334 suspects and rescuing 383 kidnapped victims. The police recovered 175 firearms and more than 3,790 rounds of ammunition while disrupting networks involved in kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, and gunrunning.
The Department of State Services complemented these efforts through intelligence-driven operations against arms trafficking, terrorism, kidnapping, and other threats, disrupting illicit supply chains, facilitating hostage rescues, and contributing to convictions for serious security offenses.
A focus on dismantling networks that finance and sustain criminal activities was also highlighted. The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons destroyed 1,419 illicit weapons on July 30, bringing the total number of weapons destroyed since 2022 to more than 19,000. The Nigeria Customs Service further strengthened these efforts in August by handing over 399 intercepted firearms and hundreds of firearm components to the Centre.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) conducted 2,298 targeted operations between July and August, arresting 3,705 suspects and securing 471 convictions. It seized almost 54,000 kg of illicit drugs and obtained court orders freezing accounts containing more than ?9.8 billion linked to cartel operations.
Onumah also noted that beyond conventional security operations, agencies were addressing human trafficking, irregular migration, cyber-enabled crime, and climate-related emergencies. The Nigeria Immigration Service rescued trafficking victims, identified persons of interest, and dismantled elements of a fraudulent transnational organized crime syndicate.
The National Emergency Management Agency provided relief assistance to 24,625 households, representing about 147,750 people, during the flood season and activated its National Emergency Operations Centre to strengthen information management and coordination.
Credible information is becoming a critical national security asset amid misinformation and rumors. Defence Headquarters issued 137 press releases and countered 13 misinformation items, while NDLEA issued 27 official statements and participated in 36 broadcast engagements.
Onumah emphasized that strategic communication should be integral to security operations and urged security institutions to communicate quickly, accurately, and transparently. He called on journalists to verify sensitive information and avoid reporting that could compromise operations or endanger lives.
He stressed that Nigeria’s security environment requires stronger partnerships among government institutions, traditional rulers, religious leaders, journalists, civil society, businesses, academics, technology companies, and communities. He concluded that security is something that institutions and citizens must build together.