Abuja, Nigeria — Nigerian security forces say they have killed dozens of armed men in separate military operations across the country’s northwest and northeast regions, where banditry and insurgency continue to fuel insecurity.
In Katsina State, authorities confirmed that 30 gunmen were killed during clashes this week. Nasir Mua’zu, Katsina’s Commissioner for Internal Affairs, said the attackers had raided three villages on Tuesday before government forces launched a joint counter-operation.
“Thirty of the criminals were neutralised through coordinated air strikes as they attempted to escape,” Mua’zu said. However, the confrontation also left one civilian, two soldiers, and three policemen dead.
The violence in Katsina highlights the worsening security crisis in Nigeria’s northwest, where heavily armed gangs — often referred to locally as bandits — stage raids, kidnap villagers for ransom, and torch communities. Despite local peace pacts, including one signed just last month with bandit leaders, attacks remain frequent.
Meanwhile, in the northeast, the Nigerian Army said its forces had “neutralised” 24 insurgents in a series of coordinated operations carried out between July 4 and 9. Backed by air power and local security volunteers, troops targeted fighters linked to Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Army spokesman Reuben Kovangiya said the operations were conducted in Borno State and surrounding areas under the banner of Operation Hadin Kai.
“The neutralisation of 24 insurgents underscores the determination and concerted efforts of the military to create a safer environment for socio-economic activities in the North East,” Kovangiya noted.
Northeast Nigeria has endured over a decade of conflict, with Boko Haram’s insurgency since 2009 leaving more than 35,000 people dead and displacing over two million, according to the United Nations.
While the Nigerian government frequently announces successful operations against insurgents and armed gangs, such claims have often been met with skepticism due to the persistence of violence and the difficulty of verifying battlefield reports.