More than 13,000 terrorists and bandits have been recorded killed by the Nigerian military within the last one year, reducing the terrorism death related cases by over 80 percent across the country.
The terrorists were said to have been killed by the Nigerian military during engagement with the troops across the troubled zones, where they had been attacking residents.
Aside from that, over 124,000 gunmen and their dependants have surrendered within the last three years through Operation Safe Corridor, a programme designed to encourage the disarmament and reintegration of repentant insurgents.
This security achievement was revealed during President Tinubu’s Democracy Day address on Friday, saying the achievement reflects the administration’s intensified security operations, stressing that the government remains committed to eliminating threats posed by terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.
The President expressed confidence that ongoing military and intelligence operations would ultimately defeat terrorism and banditry across the country.
According to President Tinubu, security agencies have moved beyond routine training exercises with international partners to carrying out more effective and targeted operations against criminal groups.
Tinubu stated that terrorist-related deaths have declined by 81 per cent since 2015, while security forces have continued to dismantle the operational capabilities of insurgent groups in several parts of the country.
He noted that a major breakthrough was recorded with the degradation of an ISWAP command centre, adding that the government would sustain pressure on armed groups threatening national security.
While reiterating that opportunities for surrender remain available, Tinubu warned that the government would not hesitate to deploy the full weight of state authority against those who refuse to abandon violence.
“To bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror: Surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State,” he said.
“These windows of surrender will not remain open forever. No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians.”
Tinubu further urged Nigerians to remain united in confronting insecurity, insisting that criminality should not be viewed through ethnic or regional lenses.