The Nigeria Police Force has rescued 309 hostages, arrested 129 suspected terrorists, and neutralised 55 others in a coordinated security operation across Kogi and Kwara states.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed the development on Tuesday during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, describing the multi-agency operation as the result of months of intelligence gathering and careful planning.
Hundeyin clarified that those killed were shot during armed confrontations with security operatives, insisting the incidents were not extrajudicial killings. “I can confirm that 129 of these terrorists were arrested and 55 were neutralised. Some may claim extrajudicial killings, but these were firefights,” he said.
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The police spokesman confirmed that “309 hostages were rescued between Kogi and Kwara,” adding that some suspects refused to surrender despite the arrest of their associates. “These were people who decided to fight to the end, so 55 of them were neutralised,” Hundeyin added.
He explained that the operation involved several police units, 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.
“This was a mix of units operating together. Ground troops mopped up the area in a coordinated manner, with constant communication between the Air Wing and officers on the ground,” Hundeyin said.
He noted that no casualties were recorded among security personnel, citing the challenging terrain — heavily forested, difficult, and largely inaccessible by road — which made aerial support essential.
Hundeyin assured Nigerians that the operations would continue. “We are taking this battle to every identified enclave of bandits and terrorists. This is just the beginning,” he said.
