Insecurity in Nigeria under Tinubu; The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has revealed that the Nigeria armed forces neutralized 6,260 terrorists and arrested 14,138 terrorists and criminals in the last two years, reflecting ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity in Nigeria.
Insecurity in Nigeria under Tinubu, According to Brigadier General Ibrahim Abu-Mawashi, the Deputy Director of Defence Media Operations, this update on the military’s performance was shared during a briefing with media executives in Abuja. The event marked two years of service by Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and other security leaders under the Tinubu administration.
In the ongoing battle against insecurity in Nigeria, troops rescued 5,365 kidnapped victims and recovered numerous arms and ammunition. They also killed 103 criminals and arrested 2,760 others, highlighting the scale of the fight against banditry in Nigeria.
In different geopolitical zones, the armed forces made notable progress:
Niger Delta (Operation Delta Safe): N83 billion worth of stolen crude oil was recovered.
North-East (Operation Hadin Kai): 1,246 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists were killed, 2,467 suspects arrested, and 1,920 civilians rescued. The troops also recovered 982 weapons and 2,153 rounds of ammunition.
North-West (Operation Fasan Yamma): 1,374 bandits, including top commanders in Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, and Sokoto, were eliminated.
North-Central: 730 terrorists and extremists were killed, 7,153 arrested, 1,510 civilians rescued, and 1,065 weapons and 19,709 rounds of ammunition recovered.
South-East (Operation UDO KA): 440 terrorists were killed, 1,677 criminals arrested, 294 civilians rescued, with 683 weapons and 21,300 rounds of ammunition recovered. An additional 80 criminals were neutralized, 1,763 arrested, and 89 kidnapping victims rescued.
Despite these actions, insecurity in Nigeria remains a major concern. Director of Defence Information, Tukur Gusau, stressed the military’s dedication to transparent communication about its operations and sacrifices.
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According to The ICIR, Data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) shows that 18,079 people were killed and 8,043 abducted from May 29, 2023, to May 2, 2025, despite the military eliminating over 6,000 terrorists. This data shows that the number of terrorists killed represents just 35% of total deaths related to insecurity in Nigeria during the Tinubu administration.
President Bola Tinubu appointed new security chiefs on June 19, 2023, with expectations of improved national security.
States most affected by killings include:
Borno State: 4,710 deaths
Zamfara: 2,659 deaths
Katsina: 2,010 deaths
In contrast, states with the lowest insecurity-related deaths are:
Gombe: 7 deaths
Ekiti: 17 deaths
Kano: 29 deaths
Within just 45 days of Tinubu assuming office (May 29 – July 13, 2023), over 600 people were reportedly killed by non-state actors, indicating the persisting threat of insecurity in Nigeria.
Violent attacks have continued, especially in states like Benue and Plateau, with over 200 people reportedly killed in Benue within just one week, despite increased military intervention.
