Nigeria Records Security Gains as
ONSA Pushes Intelligence Coordination, Says Chido Onumah
Nigeria’s security agencies conducted thousands of operations, arrested suspects, rescued kidnapped victims and seized weapons and illicit drugs in July and August 2026, according to a third-quarter national security update.
Special Adviser to the National Security Adviser on Strategic Communication and Civil Society Liaison, Dr. Chido Onumah, who presented the update, said the operations involved the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and other security and public-safety agencies.
According to the update, the Armed Forces conducted 7,062 security operations nationwide during the period, neutralising 1,487 terrorists and insurgents, arresting 354 suspects and rescuing 777 kidnapped victims.
Troops also recovered firearms, ammunition and Improvised Explosive Devices and undertook dialogue, peacebuilding and stakeholder engagements.
The Nigeria Police Force recorded 1,334 arrests and rescued 383 kidnapped victims through intelligence-led operations.
Police also recovered 175 firearms and more than 3,790 rounds of ammunition in operations targeting kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and gunrunning networks.
The Department of State Services carried out intelligence-driven operations targeting arms trafficking, terrorism, kidnapping and other security threats.
According to Onumah, the operations disrupted illicit supply chains, facilitated hostage rescues and contributed to convictions for serious security offences.
The update also detailed efforts to curb the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons.
On July 30, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), under the Office of the National Security Adviser, publicly destroyed 1,419 illicit weapons, bringing the number destroyed by the Centre since 2022 to more than 19,000.
The Centre also received thousands of illicit, obsolete and decommissioned weapons from security agencies.
In August, the Nigeria Customs Service handed over 399 intercepted firearms and hundreds of firearm components to the NCCSALW.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency conducted 2,298 targeted operations between July and August, arrested 3,705 suspects and secured 471 convictions.
The agency also seized nearly 54,000 kilogrammes of illicit drugs and obtained court orders freezing accounts containing more than N9.8 billion linked to alleged cartel operations.
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Onumah said the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit continued to cooperate with security and law-enforcement agencies in identifying financial networks linked to organised crime and terrorism.
The report also highlighted operations by the Nigeria Immigration Service and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons against irregular migration, human trafficking and transnational organised crime.
According to the update, the Immigration Service rescued trafficking victims, identified persons of interest and dismantled elements of a fraudulent transnational organised-crime syndicate.
NAPTIP also intensified operations against human trafficking and online exploitation, securing convictions and rescuing suspected victims.
The report identified social media, encrypted messaging applications and fraudulent online employment platforms among channels being used to recruit Nigerians into trafficking and cybercrime networks.
On emergency management, the National Emergency Management Agency intensified flood preparedness and early-warning activities during July and August and provided relief assistance to 24,625 households, representing approximately 147,750 people.
NEMA also activated its National Emergency Operations Centre to coordinate information and response activities during the flood season.
The Federal Fire Service responded to 426 incidents, saved 585 lives and protected property valued at approximately N108 billion during the period.
The Federal Road Safety Corps also intensified highway enforcement and emergency rescue operations and strengthened cooperation with law-enforcement agencies.
The update further detailed efforts by security and public-safety agencies to counter misinformation relating to their operations.
Defence Headquarters issued 137 press releases during July and August and identified and countered 13 items of misinformation.
The NDLEA issued 27 official statements, undertook 36 broadcast engagements and responded to misinformation concerning its operations, while the FRSC also countered false information affecting its activities.
Onumah said engagements involving ONSA, security institutions, media executives and defence correspondents focused on responsible security reporting, professional capacity-building and access to credible security information.
The report also cited inter-agency cooperation during the period, including the handover of intercepted weapons by Customs to the NCCSALW, cooperation between the NFIU and law-enforcement agencies, joint rescue operations and coordination involving NEMA, state institutions and the Armed Forces.
It also noted partnerships between the NDLEA and international agencies as part of efforts to tackle drug trafficking and related organised crime.
By PRNigeria
