The Nigeria Police Force has announced that a coordinated security operation in Kogi and Kwara states has led to 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 outlined details of the multi-agency operation.
Hundeyin explained that the 55 suspects were killed during armed clashes with security operatives, stressing that the incidents were not extrajudicial killings. He said some of the suspects chose to engage security forces in firefights rather than surrender, despite the arrest of their associates.
He also confirmed that 309 hostages were freed across the two states during the sustained operations. According to him, the success followed months of intelligence gathering and strategic planning.
The operation, Hundeyin said, involved multiple 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. He noted that ground troops carried out coordinated mop-up operations with continuous aerial support due to the difficult, forested terrain.
The police spokesman added that no casualties were recorded among security personnel and assured Nigerians that the operation would continue, saying security forces are determined to dismantle all identified bandit and terrorist enclaves.