The operations during this period have also seen the successful rescue of at least 239 kidnapped victims, and arrest of more than 342 suspects across all six geopolitical zones, authoritative defense records and incident-specific reports confirm.
The over 370 casualty figure is derived from a synthesis of official military briefings and incident-specific reports spanning the 30-day period and obtained by our defense reporters. Military sources disclosed that the actual number could be significantly higher.
The Defence Headquarters monthly briefing for April confirmed 209 terrorists killed across all theatres. This includes 136 from Operation HADIN KAI in the North-East, 20 from Operation FANSAN YAMMA in the North-West, 21 from Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD in the North-Central, 18 from Operation ENDURING PEACE, and 14 from Operation WHIRL STROKE.
However, the casualty count surged dramatically in the first ten days of May. The single deadliest engagement occurred on May 8, 2026, when troops of the 27 Brigade in Buni Gari, Yobe State, repelled a large-scale ISWAP assault.
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Sani Uba confirmed that 50 terrorists were neutralised in that encounter, with an additional 20 killed via air interdiction strikes as aircraft pursued fleeing insurgents into the Mandara Mountains.
On May 10, 2026, in the largest single operation of the 30-day period, the Nigerian Army UAV Command conducted multiple air interdiction strikes across Katerma, Bokko, Kusasu, and Kuduru villages in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. According to the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, approximately 70 bandits were killed in Kusasu alone, with surviving fighters seen evacuating the bodies of their colleagues for burial.
The Defence Headquarters explicitly denied reports alleging civilian casualties, stating that the strikes were “precisely targeted at identified terrorist enclaves” and that residents had relocated from the area before the operation commenced.
Earlier in May, in Zamfara State, troops killed three bandits during village raids on May 7, while an ambush in Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, on May 9 eliminated three more. Additional operations in the North-East on May 3 reportedly killed “scores” of terrorists, conservatively estimated at a minimum of ten.
Adding April’s confirmed 209 to May’s 50 from Buni Gari, 20 from air strikes, 70 from Shiroro, three from Zamfara, three from Katsina, and ten from early May operations brings the conservative total to approximately 365 terrorists and bandits eliminated.
Defence sources indicate the actual figure likely exceeds 400, as body recovery in rugged terrain remains challenging.
RESCUE OPERATIONS: 239 HOSTAGES FREED
The Armed Forces rescued approximately 239 kidnapped victims over the 30-day period, significantly higher than initial estimates. The North-West recorded the highest number of rescues, followed by the North-Central.
The single largest rescue occurred in Katsina State on May 8, 2026, where troops of the Joint Task Force “Operation FANSAN YAMMA” and the Katsina State Community Watch Guard rescued 32 kidnapped victims, comprising nine men, ten women, and thirteen children, from a terrorist hideout in Dikwa village, Matazu Local Government Area. Two terrorists were neutralized during the operation.
In Kogi State, troops of the 12 Brigade Nigerian Army rescued nine victims abducted from the Daarul-Kitab Islamic Orphanage in Zariagi, Lokoja. The operation, conducted on May 6, 2026, freed five boys, two girls, and two adult women believed to be wives of the orphanage proprietor. All victims were evacuated to a military medical facility in stable condition.
Kaduna State recorded significant rescue operations as well. On April 18, 2026, Forward Operating Base Ibira responded to distress calls along the Doka–Ibira axis, rescuing five victims from kidnappers. Four sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to General Hospital Idon for treatment. On April 2, 2026, troops conducted a coordinated ambush at Anguwan Haske, rescuing three additional victims. This brings Kaduna’s total to eight rescued, though one victim tragically succumbed to injuries.
In Benue State, 15 victims were rescued following an April 15 abduction along the Makurdi-Otukpo Road. The coordinated rescue operation involved police, military, DSS, Civil Defence, and local vigilantes.
The Defence Headquarters reported that between April 17 and 23, 2026, troops rescued 16 kidnap hostages across multiple theatres. In the North-East, between April 17 and 23, troops carried out anti-terror raids in Borno and Yobe States, eliminating 31 suspected terrorists and freeing multiple hostages.
Additionally, Operation FANSAN YAMMA in Zamfara State rescued 187 victims in April 2026 as part of its broader campaign against banditry, though some of these rescues occurred slightly before the 30-day window.
Revised total confirmed rescues within the 30-day period: approximately 239 hostages freed.
OPERATIONAL BREAKDOWN BY THEATRE
North-East (Operation HADIN KAI) – Epicenter of Combat
The North-East remained a highly active theatre. April operations yielded 136 terrorists neutralized, 114 arrests, and 18 rescued victims. The May 8 Buni Gari battle alone added 50 confirmed kills, making it one of the most successful engagements of the 30-day period. Troops recovered a substantial cache including AK-47 rifles, PKT machine guns, RPG tubes, and dozens of motorcycles used for insurgent logistics.
North-West (Operation FANSAN YAMMA) – Major Airstrike Today
The North-West witnessed the largest single operation of the 30-day period on May 10, 2026. The Nigerian Army UAV Command conducted precision airstrikes across Katerma, Bokko, Kusasu, and Kuduru villages in Shiroro LGA, Niger State, killing approximately 70 bandits in Kusasu alone. Over 200 armed bandits mounted on motorcycles were sighted moving towards Zango, indicating an attempt to regroup.
Earlier in April, Operation FANSAN YAMMA accounted for 20 bandits killed, 32 suspects arrested, and 70 kidnapped victims rescued. The May 8 Katsina rescue of 32 victims brought the theatre’s rescue total to over 100. On May 9, a successful ambush in Dutsin-Ma led to the elimination of three bandits.
North-Central (Operations SAVANNAH SHIELD & WHIRL STROKE)
The North-Central theatre recorded 53 terrorists killed in April alone, along with 105 suspects arrested. Rescue operations were particularly successful here, with 98 victims freed in April. The Kogi orphanage rescue of nine victims on May 6 and the Benue rescue of 15 on April 15 added to this tally.
South-South (Operation DELTA SAFE)
Maritime operations focused on dismantling militant logistics. The Nigerian Navy destroyed multiple hideouts on Dayspring Island, seizing 12 outboard engines and two fiber boats. Troops arrested 17 suspects and recovered over 101,000 liters of stolen petroleum products.
South-East (Operation UDO KA)
Operations in the South-East neutralized three IPOB/ESN terrorists in April, arrested 16 suspects, and rescued two kidnapped victims. A recent raid in Abia State recovered a Ruger pistol and ammunition from a suspected criminal.
WEAPONS RECOVERED AND LOGISTICS DESTROYED
Across all theatres, troops recovered over 50 assorted rifles including AK-47s, three PKT general-purpose machine guns, one SK-21 A1 machine gun, four RPG tubes, dozens of locally made pistols, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
In the North-East, air strikes destroyed ISWAP command-and-control structures in the Mandara Mountains. In Niger State, the Shiroro airstrikes destroyed multiple bandit hideouts. The destruction of over 100 motorcycles significantly degraded insurgent mobility.
The addition of 70 bandits killed in a single airstrike on May 10 fundamentally changes the strategic assessment of the 30-day period. This represents the highest single-operation casualty figure since the onset of renewed air campaigns in the North-West.
The rescue of 239 hostages in 30 days is arguably as significant as the casualty figure shows.
The Katsina rescue of 32 victims, including 13 children, demonstrates improved intelligence coordination between military and local security structures. The Kogi orphanage rescue, meanwhile, exposed the troubling phenomenon of faith-based institutions being exploited for criminal enterprises.
Military analysts view the 370-plus casualty figure as strategically significant. According to counterinsurgency expert Abdul Mt, “eliminating 370 combatants in 30 days, including 70 in one strike, represents a kill rate that far exceeds the recruitment capacity of most terrorist organizations operating in Nigeria.”
However, analysts caution that kinetic successes must be paired with governance and economic development. “You can kill 370 terrorists today and rescue 239 hostages, but if the conditions that drive kidnapping for ransom persist, poverty, unemployment, porous borders, the cycle continues,” said security analyst Michael Edobor.
Challenges
Despite the successes, the military lost personnel. In the Buni Gari battle, two soldiers were killed and three wounded. Similar casualties were reported in other engagements across the North-West and North-Central.
Intelligence sources also note that following the Shiroro airstrikes, over 200 armed bandits on motorcycles were observed moving towards Zango and another group from Bokko advancing in the same direction, allegedly to regroup for possible attacks on Sarkin Pawa, Kuchi, or government security facilities. This indicates that while the strike was devastating, the bandit network remains capable of organized movement.
The Defence Headquarters has also had to counter false narratives, explicitly denying civilian casualty allegations and urging the media to avoid spreading unverified reports.
Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, commended the troops, stating: “No criminal or terrorist organization, regardless of its ambition, is beyond the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
The Defence Headquarters has announced sustained operations throughout May, with particular focus on the border regions where fleeing terrorists attempt to regroup. Air surveillance has been intensified over the Lake Chad basin, the Rugu forest, and Shiroro LGA.
Figures reported in this analysis represent the most conservative estimates drawn from official Defence Headquarters briefings, incident-specific military statements, and verified news sources.
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