Troops of the Nigerian Army have intensified operations across the country. They arrested suspected drug peddlers and oil thieves. They also disrupted terrorist and criminal activities in several theatres. The operations ran between 18 and 19 September 2026.
The Army’s domestic role has expanded far beyond conventional warfare. Since 2015, troops have been deployed in all 36 states. They fight bandits in the northwest, insurgents in the northeast and oil thieves in the Niger Delta. In 2023, the Chief of Defence Staff said the military was fighting 12 simultaneous conflicts. The strain is real. Equipment is stretched. Soldiers rotate through multiple theatres. The current operations reflect that reality. The Army is now a police force, a drug enforcement agency and a revenue protection unit.
In Nasarawa, troops of Operation Whirl Stroke worked with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). They arrested 12 suspected drug peddlers at Mararaba Udege. They recovered 76 wraps of suspected cannabis and 50 grammes of tramadol. The suspects were handed to the NDLEA.
In Rivers, troops of Operation Delta Safe arrested two suspected oil thieves. One was caught at Ndoni Junction with 19 bottles of illegally refined dual-purpose kerosene. Another was intercepted along the Okwuzi-Mgbede-Ebocha axis. He was carrying 34 cellophane sacks of illegally refined automotive gas oil. The products and vehicle were processed under existing regulations.
In Borno, troops of 19 Brigade, Operation Hadin Kai, foiled a terrorist attack on farmers. The attackers moved on motorcycles towards Kauwa Primary School in Kukawa Local Government Area. The mobile strike team engaged them along the Cross-Baga axis. The terrorists fled. One soldier and one farmer sustained gunshot wounds. Both were stabilised.
Troops of Sector 3 recovered weapons after repelling an ISWAP attack on FOB Mairari in Guzamala. They found four neutralised terrorists, including the group’s photographer. They recovered an AK-47 rifle, 25 rounds of PKT ammunition, an RPG bomb, two magazines and a camcorder. Another attack on FOB Gajiram was also repelled.
Winners: The Army, which demonstrates operational reach. The NDLEA, which gains arrests. Farmers in Borno, who survived an attack. Communities in Nasarawa and Rivers, which see suspects removed. Losers: Drug peddlers, who face prosecution. Oil thieves, who lose products and vehicles. Terrorists, who lose operatives and equipment. The soldiers and farmer injured in Borno. Taxpayers, who fund multiple simultaneous operations without a clear exit strategy.
Bottom Line: The Army is fighting drugs, oil theft and terrorism at the same time. It is winning tactical engagements. The strategic picture is unchanged. Nigeria’s military is doing police work because the police cannot. That is not a solution. It is a symptom.