The operation was carried out on October 10 at Badu Village, south of Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area, following intelligence reports that the fighters were preparing coordinated attacks on military positions.

The Acting Military Information Officer of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed the development in a statement on Monday.

According to Goni, the military deployed aerial surveillance to monitor the movements of the insurgents around suspected hideouts and logistics facilities before launching a targeted strike on a building occupied by the fighters.

He said preliminary intelligence and battle damage assessments indicated that more than 40 insurgents, including a prominent ISWAP commander known as a Qaid, were killed during the operation.

The military also reported that two vehicles and approximately 20 motorcycles used by the insurgents for transportation, logistics and offensive operations were destroyed.

Further intelligence indicated that the fighters belonged to ISWAP’s Murabitun element, a specialised mobile unit responsible for patrols, coordinating attacks and sustaining insurgent activities in the area.

Goni said the destruction of the enclave and the group’s operational assets had disrupted its planned attacks on military positions and surrounding communities.

He added that further assessments were ongoing to determine the full impact of the operation.

The aircraft, which was on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos, crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday, October 5, 2026. The incident resulted in the deaths of all 25 people on board, according to the Nigerian Air Force.

The latest crash adds to a record of military aviation incidents involving fighter jets, helicopters, training aircraft and transport planes.

Among the notable incidents was the May 2021 crash of a Nigerian Air Force King Air 350 aircraft in Kaduna, which killed 11 people, including the then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru.

In February 2021, another King Air aircraft crashed while returning to Abuja after reporting an engine problem. Seven people aboard the aircraft died in the incident.

A Mi-171 helicopter also crashed in Niger State in August 2023 while on a casualty-evacuation mission, killing 11 people. Other military aircraft accidents involving training and operational flights have also been recorded.

The Ondo crash has now placed renewed attention on the condition, maintenance and operational safety of aircraft used by the Nigerian military.

The Defence Headquarters has announced an investigation into the latest incident to determine what caused the aircraft to crash, while recovery operations continue at the difficult swampy terrain where the wreckage was located.

The hacked account, @DHQNigeria, was seen promoting “Firelight Early Contributor Rewards” and directing users to information about FXRP, content unrelated to the activities or operations of the Defence Headquarters.

The unusual post was discovered on Saturday, raising concerns over the security of the social media account, which has nearly one million followers and is regularly used by the Defence Headquarters to disseminate official military information.

The post was later shown as unavailable on X, but its appearance on the verified Defence Headquarters account indicates that unauthorised access had occurred.

The Defence Headquarters is yet to publicly provide details on how the account was compromised or whether any other official platforms were affected.

The attack occurred around 1:40 a.m. on Sunday, when terrorists attempted to infiltrate the military base under the cover of darkness. However, vigilant troops detected the movement early and responded with heavy firepower, forcing the terrorists to flee.

Military reinforcements immediately launched a pursuit of the fleeing gunmen, who had abducted an unspecified number of residents during the attack. The operation led to the successful rescue of nine kidnapped civilians, while troops continued exploitation operations to track down the fleeing terrorists and assess the extent of their losses.

The Nigerian Army confirmed that one Army officer and one police officer were killed during the fierce gun battle. Two soldiers also sustained gunshot wounds and were airlifted to a medical facility, where they are currently receiving treatment and are reported to be in stable condition.

The Army also dismissed online reports claiming that six security personnel died in the attack, describing the reports as false. It maintained that only one Army officer and one police officer lost their lives.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for 8 Division and Sector 2 Operation FANSAN YAMMA, the failed attack marks another major setback for terrorist groups operating in the North-West.

The development was announced in a statement after the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, approved the appointment of General Officers Commanding (GOCs) to lead the newly established divisions.

According to the Army, the expansion is designed to strengthen its force structure, improve command and control, expand its operational footprint and enhance its capacity to respond to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.

The newly created divisions will begin operations once they attain Initial Operational Capability (IOC), while efforts continue to achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC). The Army said the phased implementation would ensure seamless operationalisation, operational continuity and rapid force projection nationwide.

As part of the restructuring, the Army has also reorganised its Areas of Responsibility across the country.

Under the new arrangement, 1 Division Kaduna will oversee Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, while 2 Division Ibadan will be responsible for Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states. 3 Division Jos will cover Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe states.

The newly established 5 Division Makurdi will oversee Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states, while 6 Division Port Harcourt will cover Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. 7 Division Maiduguri will remain responsible for Borno and Yobe states, while 8 Division Sokoto will continue to oversee Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.

The newly established 9 Division Ilorin will be responsible for Kwara and Niger states, while 10 Division Jalingo will oversee security operations in the border areas of Taraba and Adamawa states.

The Army also disclosed that 81 Division Lagos will continue to cover Lagos and Ogun states, while 82 Division Enugu will retain responsibility for Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states. The newly established 83 Division Benin City, expected to become operational later this year, will oversee Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.

To lead the new formations, the Chief of Army Staff approved the appointment of senior military officers to serve as General Officers Commanding.

Major General Yakubu Yahaya has been redeployed from the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North Central), Operation SAVANNA SHIELD, to head the newly established 9 Division Ilorin as General Officer Commanding and Commander of Operation SAVANNA SHIELD.

Major General Chinedu Ralph Nnebeife has been redeployed from Headquarters 2 Division and Sector 3 of Operation FANSAN YAMMA to serve as the General Officer Commanding of the newly established 10 Division Jalingo.

Similarly, Major General Moses Gara has been redeployed from the Headquarters of Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE to head the newly established 5 Division Makurdi, where he will also serve as Commander of Operation WHIRL STROKE.