Nigeria police neutralise 55 terrorists in major forest operation across two states

The Nigeria Police Force has announced the rescue of 309 hostages, the arrest of 129 suspected terrorists and the killing of 55 others during a coordinated security operation across Kogi and Kwara states.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed the figures on Tuesday, saying the operation followed months of intelligence gathering and inter-agency planning.

Hundeyin said the suspects who were killed died during armed confrontations with security operatives, stressing that the incidents were not extrajudicial killings.

He explained that several of the suspects refused to surrender and instead engaged security forces in firefights, which led to their deaths.

According to him, the sustained operation led to the rescue of 309 hostages held by criminal groups operating within forested areas spanning both states.

The police spokesman said the offensive involved multiple police formations, including the Police Mobile Force, the Intelligence Response Team, the Special Intervention Squad and the Air Wing, working in collaboration with the military and other security agencies.

He described the terrain as difficult and largely inaccessible by road, noting that the heavily forested environment made aerial support crucial to the success of the operation.

Hundeyin confirmed that no casualties were recorded among security personnel during the exercise.

He added that operatives had been deployed in the area for several months, carrying out coordinated ground and air operations to dismantle criminal camps and rescue victims.

Assuring Nigerians that the operation was ongoing, Hundeyin said security agencies would continue to target all identified enclaves of bandits and terrorists in the region.

He described the latest offensive as only the beginning of a broader campaign to flush out criminal elements and restore security.