The Nigerian Army has launched Operation Igbo Danu, also known as Operation Forest Flush, leading to the neutralisation of terrorists and the rescue of multiple kidnap victims across parts of Kwara State.
The development was disclosed in a statement on the Nigerian Army’s X handle on Friday, signed by Captain Maureen Ogbuka on behalf of the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 2 Division Nigerian Army.
According to the statement, troops from the 22 Armoured Brigade, with support from the Office of the National Security Adviser, conducted sustained offensive operations within the Joint Operations Area between January 23 and 29, 2026.
The operations were carried out under the leadership of Major General Chinedu Nnebife, General Officer Commanding 2 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Sector 3, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, alongside Brigadier General Nicholas Rume, Commander of the 22 Armoured Brigade.
“In the engagements, troops conducted fighting patrols in several bandits’ enclaves and successfully neutralised terrorists, while others escaped into the forest with suspected gunshot wounds,” the statement said.
The army confirmed that terrorists’ hideouts and camps were destroyed, forcing them to abandon their positions. Troops successfully cleared Garin Dandi, a major bandit enclave in Ifelodun Local Government Area, decimating the bandits’ logistics bases and supply systems, Ogbuka added.
Soldiers also stormed remote camps previously inaccessible to security forces, destroying abandoned camps and logistics enablers, significantly degrading the terrorists’ operational capacity. Despite the challenging terrain, troops maintained aggressive operations across forested areas, denying bandits freedom of movement.
“Troops intercepted fleeing elements at various blocking positions, leading to the arrest of suspected bandits, while numerous kidnap victims were rescued from different camps,” the statement noted.
The army also observed that some bandits received support from collaborators within nearby communities. “Observations from the operations indicate that bandits receive support from collaborators who provide intelligence on troop movements, enabling early withdrawal from targeted locations,” the statement added.
The General Officer Commanding urged residents to provide timely and credible information to support ongoing operations. “The operation is ongoing to deal decisively with all terrorist networks operating within Kwara State,” the statement concluded.