Get Guardian on Google**Security agencies neutralised 491 gunmen, 972 abductees rescued in two months
**Report projects 120 security incidents weekly in November
**Police vow crackdown on attacks against opposition parties, destruction of campaign posters
**Assure NYSC members, INEC ad hoc staff of protection
**EFCC begins background checks on campaign spending ahead of poll
With 71 days to the 2027 general elections, fresh concerns over Nigeria’s security situation have emerged ahead of the poll, as an October security assessment by EONS Intelligence recorded 519 incidents nationwide.
This came as security agencies said they neutralised 491 terrorists, bandits and criminals while rescuing 972 kidnapped victims over a two-month period.
The EONS report released on Wednesday covering Weeks 39 to 43 of October 2026, showed that overall security incidents declined by 11 per cent compared with September.
However, it warned of a changing pattern of insecurity, with incidents in the southern part of the country increasing by 36 per cent, while those in the North fell by 29 per cent.
The findings come amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 elections, with the Nigeria Police Force warning that attacks on opposition supporters, destruction of campaign materials and other forms of political violence would attract arrest and prosecution.
The report recorded 300 incidents in the North, representing 58 per cent of the national total, compared with 219 incidents, or 42 per cent, in the South.
Although the North retained the highest overall volume, the rise in southern incidents points to a growing security challenge outside the traditional conflict areas.
Other major incidents captured in the report included a boat accident in Rivers State, which left 10 people dead and seven missing, and an explosion along the Trans-Niger Pipeline in Eleme, Rivers State, which reportedly injured 20 people and destroyed about 50 homes.
The report raised concerns about political tension ahead of the 2027 elections and warned that security threats could take different forms across the country, including armed attacks, kidnapping, cult violence and politically motivated disturbances.
It projected between 90 and 120 security incidents weekly in November, including 10 to 20 armed attacks, and urged residents and travellers to exercise caution, particularly on high-risk routes in parts of the North.
Against this backdrop, the Defence Headquarters on Thursday disclosed that troops neutralised 435 terrorists and bandits, arrested 809 suspects and rescued 717 kidnapped victims and other captives in two months.
Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Samaila Mohammed Uba, stated this on Thursday in Abuja at a joint security agencies’ briefing where they presented their operational reports for September and October 2026.
The military reported that 198 insurgents surrendered, while troops recovered 5,666 arms, ammunition, explosives and improvised explosive devices.
Among the notable rescue operations were the release of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members in Owerri and 11 people in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The Defence Headquarters said the operations were conducted in several parts of the country, including Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Katsina, Kwara, Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau, Benue, Niger, Oyo and Kaduna states.
The military also dismissed claims of a secret ceasefire agreement between the military and Boko Haram insurgents.
Uba insisted that the military had not entered into any ceasefire arrangement with the terrorist group, saying troops were sustaining operations against insurgents and other armed criminal groups.
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”
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 terrorists 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, Assistant Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Francis Okogun, 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.
