The Nigeria Police Force has recorded significant breakthroughs in its ongoing offensive against terrorism and banditry, following the rescue of 309 abducted persons and the arrest of 129 suspected terrorists during security operations in Kogi and Kwara states.
The police also confirmed that 55 suspects lost their lives during armed encounters with operatives in the course of the operations.
Speaking on Tuesday during on Politics Today a Channels Television programme, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the successes were recorded through sustained, intelligence driven operations involving multiple security agencies.
Hundeyin clarified that ‘’the deaths occurred during gun battles between security forces and the suspects, adding that the killings were a direct result of resistance by armed groups operating within the affected areas.’’
According to him, ‘’several of the suspects declined to surrender even after the arrest of their collaborators, choosing instead to confront operatives, which resulted in fatal exchanges’’.
He said ‘’the operations led to the safe recovery of 309 hostages across both states,’’ describing the exercise as one of the most ‘’extensive coordinated security efforts in the region in recent times’’.
The police spokesman said further that the operations followed months of surveillance, intelligence collection and strategic planning, aimed at dismantling criminal enclaves hidden within difficult terrains.
According to him, ‘’various police units, including the Police Mobile Force, the Intelligence Response Team, the Special Intervention Squad and the Air Wing, were deployed alongside the military and other security agencies to execute the mission.’’
Hundeyin noted that ground forces advanced methodically through forested areas while receiving real time aerial support, allowing security personnel to maintain constant situational awareness throughout the operation.
He added that no security operative was killed or injured, attributing the outcome to careful coordination and prolonged presence in the area prior to the final offensive.
Describing the terrain as dense and largely inaccessible by road, Hundeyin said the use of aerial assets was critical to the success of the operation.
He assured Nigerians that the police and other security agencies would sustain pressure on criminal elements, insisting that all identified hideouts would be targeted as part of a broader effort to restore safety and public confidence.
