By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) last week laid bare a sweeping, high-tempo security campaign that stretched from the Lake Chad basin to the creeks of the Niger Delta, underscoring a single message: the country is firmly at war with insecurity and the battle lines are shifting in Nigeria’s favour.
According to Major General Michael Onoja, the Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO) in a press conference on the ongoing military operations between 3 and 12 December 2025, informed that the troops operating alongside intelligence and law-enforcement agencies executed coordinated kinetic and non-kinetic missions aimed at crushing terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and economic sabotage.
He maintained that the operations were not only about neutralising threats but about restoring stability, reopening space for commerce and rebuilding public confidence.
At the heart of the briefing was reassurance: the military remains focused on citizen safety, transparency, and inter-agency collaboration, while keeping operational discipline intact.
The DDMO delivered a firm assurance on one of the country’s most sensitive cases, the remaining abducted children of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Agwara, Niger State.
He said the Military authorities confirmed that rescue efforts remain active and top-priority, warning that speculation and unverified reports could endanger lives.
Parents, communities and the media were urged to support the operation by sharing only credible intelligence.
The message was clear and resolute: no abductee will be forgotten, and no effort will be spared.
Across all theatres, troops dismantled terror supply chains with surgical precision.
Recovered items included:
Automatic weapons and machine guns
RPG tubes
Locally fabricated firearms
IED components and explosives
Large caches of live ammunition
These seizures, Director DDMO noted, are weakening the operational backbone of criminal groups nationwide.
NORTH EAST — OPERATION HADIN KAI
In the North East, Operation HADIN KAI maintained relentless pressure on Boko Haram, ISWAP and JAS factions.
Ground forces, air assets, hybrid units and local security groups executed coordinated strikes across Borno and Adamawa States.
Between 3 and 10 December, operations in Bama, Gwoza, Gujba, Biu, Maiduguri, as well as Maiha and Michika, resulted in:
Scores of terrorists neutralised
22 collaborators and informants arrested
15 kidnapped victims rescued
Terror camps destroyed
Vehicles, motorcycles, arms and ammunition seized
A key enabler was an air reconnaissance mission on 3 December around the Kunshon axis, which delivered actionable intelligence that tipped the balance in favour of ground troops and accelerated operational success.
NORTH WEST — OPERATION FANSAN YAMMA
In the North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA turned multiple flashpoints into pressure zones. From Katsina to Kebbi, Zamfara to Sokoto, and extending into Jigawa, Niger and Kano, troops sustained offensive momentum.
Results recorded between 3 and 9 December included:
Numerous terrorists neutralised
18 suspects arrested
10 kidnapped victims rescued
Recovery of weapons, vehicles, livestock and looted household items
Intelligence-driven arrests marked a strategic breakthrough:
A terrorists’ medical doctor intercepted en route from Sokoto to Kwara
A notorious arms dealer arrested in Silame, Sokoto State
Air reconnaissance missions on 3 December over Kakihum, Kumbashi, Yabawa and Sangeko further tightened the net, degrading terrorists’ ability to regroup.
NORTH CENTRAL — OPERATION ENDURING PEACE
In Plateau and Kaduna States, Operation ENDURING PEACE responded swiftly to distress calls and violent incursions.
Between 3 and 8 December, operations across Barkin Ladi, Jos North, Wase, Bassa, Kaura, Sanga, Zangon Kataf and Jema’a produced:
Extremists neutralised
7 criminals arrested
14 kidnapped victims rescued
₦6.6 million recovered from kidnappers and logistics suppliers
The seizures highlighted how criminal violence is increasingly tied to financial networks now under sustained attack.
NORTH CENTRAL — OPERATION WHIRL STROKE
Operation WHIRL STROKE recorded steady gains across Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Kogi, Kwara and the FCT.
From 3 to 9 December, troops:
Arrested 16 kidnapping suspects
Rescued 10 kidnapped victims
Neutralised several extremists
Recovered arms, ammunition, motorcycles and logistics items
Operations stretched from Nasarawa and Taraba to Gwagwalada, Bwari, Koton Karfe and Kabba-Bunu, underscoring the widening footprint of security dominance.
SOUTH-SOUTH — OPERATION DELTA SAFE
₦15.6 Million Oil Theft Foiled
In the oil-rich South-South, Operation DELTA SAFE delivered a direct blow to economic sabotage.
Within one week, troops:
Prevented oil theft worth ₦15.7 million
Seized 16,000 litres of stolen crude and 1,475 litres of DPK
Destroyed 7 illegal refining sites
Arrested 68 suspects across multiple operations
Recovered assorted arms and ammunition
Operations spanned Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, combining ground assaults with air reconnaissance to choke off illicit supply routes.
SOUTH EAST — OPERATION UDO KA
Operation UDO KA intensified its clampdown on kidnapping and separatist-linked criminality.
Troops carried out raids in Enugu, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi and Anambra States, including the destruction of an IPOB/ESN-linked local arms fabrication workshop in Ihiala.
Outcomes included:
15 kidnapped victims rescued
Seizure of weapons, ammunition and servicing tools
11 illegal immigrants handed over to Immigration authorities
As the briefing closed, Major General Michael Onoja, the
Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO) struck a confident but measured tone.
The cumulative results, it said, reflect the discipline, resilience and professionalism of Nigerian troops operating under difficult conditions nationwide.
The Armed Forces reaffirmed their commitment to denying terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and economic saboteurs any freedom of action anywhere in Nigeria.
For citizens and investors alike, the signal was unmistakable: the security drag on Nigeria’s economy is being confronted head-on, theatre by theatre, week by week.
