The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, said on Friday that since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, the military had achieved significant milestones in degrading terrorist networks, disrupting criminal syndicates, and restoring civil authority across many volatile regions.

Consequently, DHQ said, within this period over 5,000 insurgents and bandits have been neutralized across multiple theatres of operation, including the Northeast, Northwest, and North Central.

Also, over 350 communities and villages previously under the control of terrorists and bandits, particularly in Borno, Niger, Zamfara, and Katsina, recovered.

Amnesty International

DHQ debunked allegations that 2,630 persons were killed in Plateau State by terrorists/bandits in the last two years as well as displacement of 167 communities in Plateau State as concoction of falsehood.

Responding to Amnesty International?s recent report making these allegations, DHQ dismissed it as ?A bleak and generalized picture of national insecurity, which largely ignored the asymmetric and evolving nature of modern threats, especially those rooted in decades of socio-political and economic complexities.?

Major General Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, said the military in partnership with local intelligence networks, successfully rescued over 1,200 abducted civilians, including women and children, many of whom were kidnapped in mass abduction incidents.

He said the deployment of Quick Response Forces (QRFs), forward Operating Bases, and enhanced coordination with state governments and community leaders have improved civil-military relations with communities.

The DHQ spokesman added that ?The take-off of Operation Safe Haven, Operation Hadarin Daji, and Operation Whirl Stroke has led to significant suppression of militia activities and inter-communal violence.

Major Gen Kangye emphasized that in surveillance and air power enhancement, the NAF has conducted over 500 successful air interdictions, close air support among other operation while significantly degrading the movement and logistics capability of armed groups noting that the use of modern surveillance drones and night operations has improved tactical superiority and minimized civilian casualties.

He disclosed that military engineering corps have secured and rehabilitated key transportation and communication corridors previously vulnerable to attacks resulting in increased joint patrols along porous border regions with Cameroon, Niger, and Chad which has curtailed cross-border infiltration.

The Plateau situation

He faulted Amnesty?s report on the situation in Plateau State as a deliberate effort to mislead the general public towards galvanizing negative public opinion against the military.

DHQ said, ?The number of deaths quoted in the report does not reflect the actual situation in Plateau State.

?Following the reorganization of deployments and conduct of broad-spectrum subsidiary operations in Plateau State from July 2023, the State witnessed continuous improvement until the coordinated attacks in some communities in Bokkos and Bassa LGAs of Plateau State on 2 and 14 April 2025.

?The period covered in the press release did not record coordinated attacks on communities except for the Christmas Eve 2023 and the recent security breaches in Bokkos and Bassa LGAs of Plateau State.

?Therefore, the allegation of killing of 2,630 persons in Plateau State in the last 2 years is a concoction of falsehood in pursuant of self-serving agenda.

?Similarly, nothing can be farther from the truth that the alleged displacement of 167 communities in Plateau State in the last 2 years.

?Although the crisis in Plateau State resulted in displacement of some communities in 2011, there were no further displacements in the State between 2023 and 2025 as claimed in the report.

?Rather, due to the improved security situation, the Plateau State Government convened a committee for the resettlement of displaced persons in their ancestral homes in 2024.

?The committee is still finalizing arrangements for the return of persons displaced to their various communities. Therefore, the allegations raised In the press release by Amnesty International could be discountenanced.?

The DHQ clarifications were in reaction to a release by Amnesty International titled ?Nigeria: Mounting death toll and looming humanitarian crisis amid unchecked attacks by armed groups?, dated 29 May 2025. (Vanguard)

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