Nigeria Defends Security Record with Massive Bandit Neutralization

The Government of Nigeria defended its national security record on April 21, 2026, by highlighting a series of military victories across multiple regions. Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga detailed operations including the April 19 rescue of 13 passengers from a Benue Links bus in Ohimini, the destruction of a terrorist camp in Kogi State, and the neutralization of Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents in Borno and Yobe states. Onanuga criticized the media for selective reporting and urged citizens to support the armed forces during their asymmetric war against criminal networks.

In Bauchi State, Governor Bala Mohammed announced that security forces neutralized over 20,000 bandits through coordinated ground and aerial attacks. These operations targeted criminal enclaves in the Dajin Malam forest, which spans Bauchi, Plateau, and Taraba states, utilizing four warplanes to bomb camps and destroy motorcycles. To consolidate these gains, the Bauchi state government opened a temporary surrender window for remaining bandits and introduced security reforms, including biometric profiling of residents in vulnerable communities.

Concurrent with these domestic operations, Minister of Defence Christopher Gwabin Musa participated in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026 in Türkiye. He engaged in international counterterrorism discussions to improve intelligence sharing. Other reported successes included the arrest of ethnic militiamen in Plateau State and the defusal of improvised explosive devices in Imo State.