11 terrorist leaders killed in Nigerian military operations

8/5/2025 6:11

As many as 11 terrorist leaders in Nigeria have been killed recently as government forces intensify anti-terror operations in the most populous African country, a senior official said Wednesday.

Nigerian Minister of Defense Mohammed Badaru told reporters in the capital, Abuja, that one of the "most wanted" terrorist leaders in the northern part of the country, identified as Bello Turji, has been on the run as a result of the sustained anti-terror operations by the military.

"Recently, there has been a renewed impetus to all our operations across the country, translating into commendable achievement, specifically in the northeast," Badaru said, without giving the exact time the anti-terror operations were carried out. "Despite the recent short-lived desperation of the terrorists, troops have responded excessively and dealt a devastating blow across the theaters."

While sustaining the fight against the terrorists, government forces have also doubled their intelligence to foil attacks by the criminals, the minister said.

He noted that Nigeria's security challenges were deeply rooted in decades-long social and political fractures, economic dislocation, transnational borders influence, and global terrorism metrics that continue to mutate beyond classical military doctrines.

He said addressing those threats accordingly requires a multifaceted approach, including combining military efforts with socioeconomic development and regional cooperation, among others, to ensure lasting peace and stability.

On April 23, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered an immediate overhaul of national security strategies to address escalating armed attacks in the country.

"Enough is enough," Tinubu told a meeting of the country's security chiefs in Abuja, while condemning recent attacks in the northern part of the country.

Badaru said the president's order, signalling the needed political will, has charged the government forces to double their efforts in overcoming the security challenges in this nation.