Get Guardian on GoogleThe Defence Headquarters has dismissed claims of a secret ceasefire agreement between the Federal Government and Boko Haram terrorists.
The military, rather, said it is sustaining offensive operations against insurgents, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), kidnappers and other criminal groups.
Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Samaila Mohammed Uba, gave the clarification on Thursday in Abuja at a joint security agencies’ briefing where security agencies presented their operational reports for September and October 2026.
The briefing was organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Una said there was no ceasefire with Boko Haram, adding that troops would continue to attack the insurgents.
The military’s response comes amid controversy over allegations that the Federal Government reached a secret ceasefire agreement with Boko Haram in June 2026.
The Guardian had reported on September 9 that the Defence Headquarters declined to comment on the allegations following a report by The New Humanitarian claiming that the agreement was linked to negotiations for the release of 360 civilians abducted in Ngoshe, Borno State.
The report also alleged that N5 billion was paid as ransom as part of the arrangement, a claim the Federal Government denied.
Citing three sources with contacts among Boko Haram members, the report claimed that the ceasefire had been in effect since June, with attacks reportedly reducing in some communities around Ngoshe.
At the time, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Mike Onoja, declined to comment when The Guardian sought the military’s position.
But responding to questions on allegations of a secret agreement with the insurgents, Uba maintained that military operations against the insurgents had not stopped.
The Military spokesman said: “It is very clear that there is no any ceasefire with Boko Haram. We will continue to make sure that we keep hitting at them. Anybody, not just Boko Haram, ISWAP, kidnappers, any criminal element in Nigeria that has taken arms against will be eliminated or brought to justice”
Earlier, while presenting the military’s operational report for September and October, he said troops conducted 588 operations during the two-month period, neutralising 435 terrorists, arresting 809 suspects and rescuing 717 kidnapped victims.
He added that 198 insurgents surrendered during the period, while troops recovered 5,666 arms, ammunition and explosives.
He said sustained operations had made some areas previously occupied by terrorists increasingly difficult for them to operate from, forcing them to move to other parts of the country.
According to him, the military is monitoring the movement of the insurgents and mapping out emerging locations to prevent them from establishing new bases or exploiting security gaps.
He said the military was also establishing new formations and deploying additional battalions to areas where their presence was required to strengthen operations and block possible escape routes.
Uba assured Nigerians that M would not be allowed to find safe havens anywhere in the country.
On the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), he said the military was reviewing the force’s operations in view of changes in regional security cooperation following the withdrawal of some neighbouring countries from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force, on its part, said it arrested 1,519 suspects, neutralised 56 armed criminals and rescued 255 kidnapped victims during the review period.
The police also recovered 191 firearms and 3,873 rounds of ammunition, while 117 vehicles were seized.
Presenting the police report, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu, disclosed that the force recorded 418 homicide incidents, 227 kidnapping cases, 168 banditry incidents, 165 armed robbery cases, 73 cult-related clashes, 51 terrorism-related incidents and 49 cases of gender-based violence.
On concerns over the destruction of campaign posters and alleged intimidation of opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, Iniedu said the police had received reports of pre-election violence.
He said special police commands and commissioners of police had been directed to arrest and prosecute anyone involved in pre-election violence or destruction of campaign materials.
He urged victims to report incidents at police stations rather than rely solely on social media to draw attention to them.
On the recovery of 975 pieces of 25mm explosives being transported along the Abaji expressway, he said the police Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear branch was investigating the incident.
He disclosed that the courier and the receiver had been arrested, while efforts were ongoing to track down the sender.
The police spokesman also said the force had conducted threat assessments ahead of the 2027 elections and was working with other security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen protection for National Youth Service Corps members and other ad hoc election personnel.
He added that commissioners of police had been directed to arrest and prosecute individuals involved in hate speech and incitement.
The Department of State Services (DSS) also reported foiling a mass kidnapping plot in Bakori, Katsina State, where 18 bandits were neutralised and 45 victims rescued.
The service said it had dismantled supply chains linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra’s Eastern Security Network and eliminated a senior ISWAP leader, Abdussamad Ohida, in Ondo State. It also reported intercepting arms couriers.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) disclosed that it sanctioned 79 personnel during the period, including the dismissal of two officers over an unauthorised firearm engagement that led to the death of the Commander of the Mining Marshals, Levi Agada, in Nasarawa State.
The corps also said it dismantled a child trafficking syndicate operating under the cover of a fake non-governmental organisation known as Back to School Project.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it conducted 397 operations, arrested 3,583 suspects and secured 396 convictions during the two months.
The agency disclosed that it seized 177,534.46 kilogrammes of illicit drugs and dismantled 145 drug syndicates, while 542 drug users were treated and rehabilitated. It also reported that six of its personnel died during the period.
Responding to questions about the arrest of foreign nationals, an NDLEA representative clarified that three South Africans were arrested during the review period for trafficking heroin, cocaine and synthetic cannabis, popularly known as loud.
The representative said the arrests were linked to international drug cartels and that investigations were ongoing.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reported recovering N1.233 trillion and securing 10,872 convictions between October 2023 and July 2026.
Its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said the commission was conducting background work on possible illicit financing ahead of the 2027 elections but declined to disclose details of its investigations.
“We are doing our work,” he said, adding that the commission would make information available when there was something to report.
On illegal refineries, Oyewale said the commission had discovered an illegal refinery in Rivers State but made no arrests at the site because no suspects were found there.
He said 14 Chinese nationals and one Nigerian had earlier been arrested on October 23 at another illegal processing plant along the same axis, adding that investigations were continuing.
The Nigeria Immigration Service said it arrested 85 suspects and rescued 257 victims of human trafficking during the period. It also reported intercepting 14 members of a trafficking syndicate allegedly involved in an attempt to traffic 116 Nigerians to Ghana.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) reported securing 16 convictions and rescuing or receiving 221 trafficking victims through airports.
The agency also said it shut down 16 suspicious medical facilities in Port Harcourt as part of investigations into suspected trafficking activities and rescued minors in an investigation involving 117 victims in Benue and Nasarawa states.
The Nigeria Customs Service generated N1.42 trillion in revenue during the two months, while the Nigerian Correctional Service said it transferred more than 3,000 violent extremist offenders without any security breach.
The correctional service also disclosed that 31,234 petty offenders were diverted from custodial sentences through non-custodial measures.
The Federal Fire Service said it saved fire-fighting assets worth N1.3 billion at Gwarimpa, Abuja, although property losses from the incident were estimated at N200 million. No casualty was recorded.
The agencies said they would sustain operations against terrorism, kidnapping, drug trafficking, oil theft, human trafficking and other security threats.
