ABUJA, Nigeria (FN) — Nigerian troops killed insurgents and arrested 94 suspects during coordinated raids across the country this month, the military said Friday.
The operations, conducted between Nov. 3 and Nov. 14, also freed 67 people who had been kidnapped. Weapons seized included assault rifles, machine guns, rocket launchers and materials used to make explosives, according to Maj. Gen. Olatokunbo Bello, director of defense media operations.
Authorities said the suspects included alleged informants and suppliers linked to extremist groups. Camps and supply bases were destroyed in the raids.
The military did not specify the number of insurgents killed but said the arrests targeted individuals accused of aiding Boko Haram and Islamic State affiliates in the northeast, as well as bandit gangs in the northwest.
Nigeria has battled more than a decade of violence from Islamist extremists in Borno and Adamawa states, where Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters continue to stage attacks despite repeated offensives. Armed gangs in the northwest have also carried out mass kidnappings for ransom, further straining security forces.
Officials said the latest operations are part of a broader campaign to weaken insurgent networks by cutting off their supply chains and dismantling camps. Bello emphasized that the military is focusing not only on combat but also on disrupting the support systems that sustain armed groups.
Similar incidents have been reported in recent weeks. On Nov. 9, troops rescued 86 hostages from a Boko Haram camp in Borno State and arrested 29 suspected logistics suppliers. Earlier this month, nationwide raids freed 17 kidnapped victims and led to 20 arrests. In October, the army said it had neutralized 83 fighters, arrested 65 suspects and rescued 46 hostages in operations across multiple regions.
Nigeria’s Air Force has also carried out precision strikes against insurgent hideouts in Borno, Kwara and Katsina States, while clashes between Boko Haram and ISWAP factions in the Lake Chad Basin left nearly 200 fighters dead in one of the deadliest inter‑group battles this year.
The government says intensified operations are aimed at restoring security nationwide, though analysts caution that extremist groups remain resilient and continue to exploit porous borders and rural terrain.
