Nigerian soldiers have killed 79 militants and suspected kidnappers over the past week as part of a military campaign targeting insurgencies in the northeast and violent armed groups in the northwest, the Nigerian army announced Friday.
The operation, aimed at combating Boko Haram and other militant activities, also led to the arrest of 252 individuals and the rescue of 67 hostages held by insurgents, said military spokesperson Edward Buba. This effort is part of Nigeria’s heightened response to a conflict that has left 35,000 people dead and displaced over 2 million in the northeastern region, according to the United Nations.
Kidnappings remain rampant in the northwest, where armed groups exploit the region’s weak security to attack villages and travelers. Victims are often released only after hefty ransoms are paid, adding to the region’s insecurity. The 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok by Boko Haram extremists drew global attention to Nigeria’s ongoing struggles with militant groups.
The operation also addressed economic sabotage in the oil-rich south, where 28 suspects were arrested for crude oil theft. Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest oil producers, loses billions annually due to such theft. Between 2009 and 2020, the country lost over $46 billion to crude oil theft, according to the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
Additionally, the military apprehended seven members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatist group advocating for an independent state in southeastern Nigeria. IPOB’s campaign revives echoes of the 1967–1970 Nigerian Civil War, during which an estimated 1 million people died. In November, one of its prominent figures, Simon Ekpa, was arrested in Finland for allegedly inciting violence online.
