Defence Minister reveals: Troops killed 13,000 terrorists, rescued 10,000 hostages in 3 years

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, said the Nigerian military killed 13,543 terrorists and rescued about 10,000 hostages between May 2023 and February 2025.

The minister said the feat was achieved in collaboration with the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

Speaking on Wednesday during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja, the minister said the military’s strategy in combating insurgency, criminality, and the persistent threat of terrorism has been top notched.

While commenting the successes recorded by the military, he said the troop’s strategies bolster morale of officers in various areas of operation.

“In addition to the killing of terrorist leaders such as Damina, Kachanda, and Ali Kawaji, the operations have also resulted in the capture of over 17,000 suspects and the surrender of more than 124,000 combatants and their families,” Abubakar said.

“This broad-based success is attributed to a significant improvement in intelligence-sharing and surveillance, especially in the Lake Chad region, where partnerships with international allies have enabled the deployment of advanced monitoring systems.

“These systems have improved the tracking of militant movements, facilitating more coordinated military responses.”

Despite these gains, the Minister of Defence cautioned that Nigeria continues to face significant security challenges.

“Remnants of Boko Haram continue to carry out sporadic drone attacks in the northeast, while banditry and kidnappings persist in the northwest,” he said.

“Additionally, rising ethnic tensions in the north-central region, fueled by resource competition and climate change, continue to complicate the security landscape.”