The Nigeria Police Force has announced that a coordinated security operation across Kogi and Kwara states has resulted in the rescue of 309 hostages, the arrest of 129 suspected terrorists and the killing of 55 others.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this on Tuesday during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, where he provided details of the multi-agency operation.
Hundeyin said those killed died during armed confrontations with security operatives, stressing that the incidents were not extrajudicial killings.
“I can confirm that 129 of these terrorists were arrested and 55 were neutralised. I am talking about Kogi and Kwara. Some people might want to say these were extrajudicial killings, so I have to make it clear — these were firefights,” he said.
He also confirmed that “309 hostages were rescued between Kogi and Kwara” during the sustained operations, noting that some of the 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.
According to the police spokesman, the operation was the product of months of intelligence gathering and careful planning involving several security agencies.
He said it was executed by a combination of 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 bodies.
“This was a mix of units working together. There were ground troops mopping up the area in a coordinated manner, with constant communication between the Air Wing and officers on the ground,” he said.
Hundeyin disclosed that no casualties were recorded among security personnel. He explained that the operatives had been deployed in the area for several months, describing the terrain as heavily forested, difficult and largely inaccessible by road, making aerial support necessary.
He assured Nigerians that the operation would be sustained. “We are taking this battle to every identified enclave of bandits and terrorists. This is just the beginning,” he said.
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