NAF Air strikes kill 2,351 terrorists in relentless 2025 Campaign

The Nigerian Air Force has described 2025 as one of the most consequential years in its counter-terrorism campaign, announcing that sustained air operations led to the neutralisation of 2,351 terrorists across multiple conflict zones nationwide.

According to the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the results were achieved through 274 Air Interdiction missions flown in 379 combat sorties, targeting terrorist enclaves, logistics routes, training facilities and movement corridors used by insurgent and bandit groups.

Ejodame said the interdiction missions alone accounted for about 800 flight hours, reflecting what he described as the Air Force’s growing operational reach, endurance and battlefield dominance.

He added that the figures did not include hundreds of additional missions involving intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, armed reconnaissance and close air support operations.

Beyond the headline numbers, the Air Force said the sustained air campaign produced significant operational effects across key flashpoints in the North-East, North-West and North-Central regions.

Precision strikes, it noted, disrupted supply lines, cut off escape routes and weakened command structures that once linked disparate terrorist cells.

“These actions denied hostile elements freedom of movement and sanctuary, enabling ground forces to advance, recover contested territories and stabilise vulnerable communities,” Ejodame said, adding that the tempo and morale of terrorist and bandit groups had been markedly reduced.

The Air Force also reported major gains in the maritime and energy security sphere, particularly in the Niger Delta.

Precision air operations in the region, it said, led to the destruction of hundreds of illegal refining reservoirs, 126 storage tanks and several boats used by oil thieves and organised criminal networks.

The operations, according to the service, curtailed illicit funding streams, boosted oil production and strengthened national economic resilience.

Reacting to the operational outcomes, the Chief of the Air Staff, Sunday Kelvin Aneke, said the 2025 results underscored the increasing accuracy, effectiveness and striking power of Nigerian air capabilities.

He attributed the successes to intelligence-led targeting, improved aircraft availability, enhanced crew proficiency and closer integration with ground forces and other security agencies.

Air Marshal Aneke also acknowledged sustained Federal Government backing, crediting investments in modern platforms, personnel welfare, training and infrastructure under Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for boosting operational readiness.

Looking ahead, the Air Force leadership said pressure on security threats would intensify in 2026, with expanded kinetic operations carried out in strict compliance with Rules of Engagement and International Humanitarian Law.

“The Nigerian Air Force will remain relentless in taking the fight to all enemies of the state,” Aneke said, warning that criminal and terrorist groups would find no safe haven anywhere within the country.

He urged armed elements willing to abandon violence to embrace peace, while assuring Nigerians that civilian protection remains central to air operations through enhanced intelligence validation, targeting oversight and mission review processes.

The Air Force called on citizens to stay vigilant, support security agencies with credible information and remain confident in the Armed Forces’ resolve to restore lasting peace, stability and national prosperity.