Nigeria’s armed forces have reported a major operational success in the country’s volatile Lake Chad region, claiming to have killed more than 70 insurgents following a sophisticated attack involving drones.

In a weekly operational briefing released on Friday, Major General Michael Onoja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, detailed a “complex” engagement at Mallam Fatori in the Abadam region. Military officials say that after repelling an assault by ISWAP fighters who utilized drones, troops discovered the bodies of 74 insurgents, including several senior commanders.

The report covers a frantic week of security activity between 13 and 19 March, as the military moves to consolidate gains ahead of the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.

A multi-front offensive

The briefing outlines a massive, multi-front campaign aimed at jihadists in the north, kidnapping gangs in the west, and oil thieves in the southern Niger Delta.

Key developments across the country include:

• The Northeast (Operation Hadin Kai): Beyond the Mallam Fatori battle, troops repelled coordinated strikes in Baga and Damboa. Military hardware, including 38 AK-47 rifles and operational documents, was recovered.
• The Northwest (Operation Fansan Yamma): Soldiers thwarted the attempted kidnapping of a prominent cleric, Reverend Nuhu Anche, in Kaduna State. In a separate inter-agency breakthrough, security services intercepted a female courier in Kano carrying nearly 900 rounds of ammunition.
• The Southeast (Operation Udo Ka): In Imo State, elite teams neutralized two specialists caught attempting to plant Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Six explosive devices were safely destroyed by ordnance experts.

Economic sabotage and ‘Gunrunners’

In the oil-rich South-South region, the military has intensified its crackdown on the “economic saboteurs” blamed for bleeding the national treasury.

Troops reported the discovery of several illegal refining sites in Rivers and Delta States, confiscating thousands of litres of illegally refined fuel. In central Nigeria, a suspected major gunrunner—believed to be a key supplier for gangs operating along the Kogi-Kwara axis—was arrested with a “significant cache” of ammunition.

Resilience amid tragedy

The week’s successes come against a backdrop of recent heartbreak. Major General Onoja acknowledged the “unfortunate” recent suicide bombings in Borno State, which occurred just as the military was ramping up its presence.

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, extended his condolences to the families of those killed in the blasts, describing the fallen soldiers and civilians as heroes of the nation’s stability.

As the Muslim holy month of Ramadan draws to a close, the military has vowed to maintain “dominance of the battlespace.” Officials urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, noting that the “resilience of local communities” remains the most vital tool in defeating the insurgency.