Insecurity: 122,843 Terrorists Surrendered In 11 years – DHQ
By Tony Enokela
The Military High Command has confirmed that at least 122,843 insurgents have surrendered under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) since the establishment of Operation Safe Corridor in 2015.
This information was shared in a statement to Defence Correspondents in Abuja by the Director of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, during an update on troop operations across the country from March 7 to March this year, focusing on combating insurgency activities.
Operation Safe Corridor is a military-led, multi-agency initiative designed to deradicalise, rehabilitate, and reintegrate former Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) combatants.
The initiative aims to break the cycle of insurgency through non-kinetic methods by providing a voluntary exit route, while processing thousands of “clients” through vocational training and psychosocial counselling.
According to Gen Onoja, “14 terrorists surrendered to troops in the North East during the period of the update, thus bringing the total number to 122,843 in 11 years.
The DMO also revealed that another 108 bags of granular ammonium sulfate, substance linked to the production of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered from a commercial trailer intercepted by troops at a checkpoint in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State on March 11, 2026.
“Investigations are currently ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the movement of the material,” he said.
According to the statement, “On February 28, 2026, troops of Operation Savannah Shield intercepted a vehicle conveying eight 50kg bags of ammonium chloride along Eruku-Egbe road in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
“When the driver of the vehicle was unable to produce any authorisation documents for the transportation of the substance, it was subsequently taken to the laboratory for examination,” Onoja had said.
Gen Onoja stated that although the military faced challenges during the reviewed period, it successfully conducted a series of offensive patrols, fighting patrols, clearance operations, and rapid response missions across all theaters of operation.
These efforts resulted in the elimination of several terrorists, including their commanders.
He said those operations targeted terrorist enclaves, criminal hideouts, kidnapping networks, illegal refining activities, and other threats to national stability.
He said the troops significantly curtailed terrorists’ freedom of movement and disrupted their critical logistical lifelines, in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force, local hunters, and hybrid forces supporting ongoing counter-insurgency efforts in the North East.
The statement further added, “Troops exerted sustained operational pressure on terrorist across the theatre. Several attacks were successfully repelled despite some operational challenges. Nonetheless, key terrorist operatives were arrested, including logistics suppliers, tax collectors, informants and economic saboteurs, while abducted civilians were rescued and illicit fuel supplies intended to sustain insurgent operations were intercepted.”
“Troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA in the North West continue to deliver decisive and precise strikes against terrorists operating across Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara States.
The DMO further explained that the troops dismantled terrorist logistics networks, safeguarding communities and critical infrastructure from violent attacks and criminal activities in the five states.
He added that in Sokoto State, troops on March 8 discovered and destroyed a terrorist enclave belonging to the Lakurawa group in Tangaza Local Government Area of the state.
Gen Onoja said that during the period, the military under Operation Udo Ka in the South East opened the Eketutu-Uda road in the Orsu general area of Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State, a route closed for three years due to the persistent activities of IPOB/ESN criminal elements.
He said during the operation to clear the road, troops discovered eight Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) strategically planted along the route, adding that the devices were carefully disconnected and safely destroyed by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, thereby preventing potential harm to civilians and security personnel.
Gen Onoja assured Nigerians that in spite of challenges, the ongoing operations will continue to be intensified in order to completely dismantle the remaining pockets of criminal and terrorist elements threatening peace and national development.
