Over 13,000 Boko Haram fighters killed, 11,000 weapons recovered in two years — NSA
By Kunle Sanni
National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, says that more than 13,543 Boko Haram elements have been neutralised by Nigerian security forces over the past two years, with over 11,000 arms recovered and destroyed as part of intensified operations against terrorism in the country.
Ribadu made this disclosure on Thursday at the APC National Summit in Abuja, where he gave a comprehensive overview of the security situation under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
He further stated that since the administration took office in May 2023, a total of 124,408 Boko Haram fighters and their family members have surrendered to the Nigerian military.
“Despite some setbacks, our troops continue to conduct sustained operations in the Tumbuktu Triangle, Tumbu Islands, and other key enclaves to root out the remaining insurgents,” Ribadu said.
The NSA emphasized that coordinated efforts by security agencies have helped significantly reduce mass killings, abductions, and terrorist attacks across the country. He said the Tinubu administration inherited five major security crises, including the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, banditry in the North West, secessionist violence in the South East, militancy in the Niger Delta, and communal/herder-farmer clashes in the North Central.
He cited past high-profile attacks before 2023 — such as the Abuja-Kaduna train bombing, Kuje Prison break, the Owo church massacre, and military ambushes in Bwari — to highlight the scale of insecurity the administration was confronted with upon taking office.
Ribadu said that ongoing counter-terrorism efforts have reclaimed territory, restored confidence, and reduced incidents like the sit-at-home orders in the South East and oil infrastructure sabotage in the Niger Delta.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio praised President Tinubu’s leadership, stating that the era of terrorist groups seizing and administering territory is over.
