Troops Eliminate ISWAP Leader Behind Planned Festive Season Attacks – DHQ
Troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces have eliminated a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander in Owo Forest, Ondo State, who was allegedly involved in planning large-scale attacks across parts of the country ahead of the forthcoming festive season.
The Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Major General Michael Onoja, identified the slain commander as Abdussamad Ohida, describing him as the deputy to the ISWAP leader in Central Nigeria.
He disclosed this at the DMO’s monthly press briefing on military operations for October 2026.
According to the him, the operation was conducted by a combined team of security forces on October 2, during which several terrorists, including Ohida, were neutralised.
The military said Ohida had assumed leadership of the group following the arrest of its previous leader by the Department of State Services (DSS) in 2023.
It further alleged that the commander was involved in planning large-scale attacks on citizens in several states during the forthcoming festive season.
He described his elimination as a major setback to ISWAP’s efforts to expand its operational presence in Nigeria, particularly in the central part of the country.
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The operation forms part of wider military efforts to disrupt terrorist networks beyond their traditional strongholds in the North-East.
During October, troops of Operation HADIN KAI sustained offensive operations against terrorist groups and their support networks across Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
The military reported that troops neutralised 162 terrorists, arrested 98 and rescued 39 kidnapped persons, while 68 terrorists surrendered during the period.
One of the major engagements occurred in Kukawa, Borno State, where troops, supported by the Air Component, repelled an attempted ISWAP attack between October 6 and 7, killing 25 terrorists.
The military also reported the disruption of terrorist logistics and intelligence networks, with suspected suppliers, informants and collaborators arrested in several locations across Borno and Yobe states.
The DMO said the Armed Forces sustained coordinated operations across the country’s six geopolitical zones between September 30 and October 30, 2026, targeting terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft and other forms of criminality.
It added that troops rescued more than 150 abducted and kidnapped citizens nationwide, received the surrender of more than 50 terrorist fighters and family members, and dismantled logistics, intelligence and arms-trafficking networks.
The military said the operations would continue as part of efforts to prevent terrorist expansion, protect civilians and strengthen security ahead of the festive season.
By PRNigeria
