In a turbulent week marked by both military successes and tragic civilian losses, Nigeria’s ongoing battle against terrorism has once again captured the nation’s—and the world’s—attention. From the arrest of high-profile jihadist leaders in the northwest to deadly attacks on Christian miners in the country’s heartland, recent events underscore the complexity and persistence of Nigeria’s security crisis.
On December 17 and 18, 2025, the Nigerian Army reported significant victories in Zamfara and Borno states, neutralizing dozens of terrorists and recovering a cache of arms and equipment. According to PRNigeria, troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA, under the broader Operation Forest Sanity IV, conducted clearance operations in Isa and Shinkafi Local Government Areas of Zamfara State. The offensive resulted in the deaths of three terrorists and the recovery of three AK-47 rifles and a Baofeng communication radio. Troops maintained dominance in the area, determined to prevent the regrouping of terrorist elements. Military authorities reaffirmed their commitment to “aggressive offensive and defensive operations aimed at dismantling terrorist networks, disrupting their logistics and restoring lasting peace across affected regions.”
Meanwhile, in Borno State, troops of Operation Hadin Kai foiled an early-morning infiltration attempt by insurgents from the Mandara Mountains near the Bitta community. As reported by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, the incident occurred at about 12:30 a.m. on December 18. Leveraging advanced surveillance systems, troops detected suspicious movement and allowed the insurgents to advance into a designated engagement zone before opening coordinated defensive fire. “During the ensuing firefight, several terrorists were neutralised, including a senior terrorist fighter and his cameraman,” Uba wrote. As the remaining elements attempted to retreat, the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai launched precision strikes, further decimating the fleeing insurgents and disrupting their withdrawal routes.
Ground troops recovered a trove of weapons and logistics, including AK-47 rifles, PKT machine guns, bandoliers, hand-held radios, 11 AK-47 magazines loaded with ammunition, seven mobile phones, a camcorder, belts of PKT and GPMG-linked ammunition, motorcycles, and bicycles. Further searches revealed multiple blood trails and shallow graves, indicating additional casualties among the terrorists. “Troops’ morale remains high as OPHK continues sustained operations to deny terrorists freedom of action and protect communities within the area of responsibility,” Uba added, emphasizing the military’s resolve to restore peace and stability in Nigeria’s northeast.
Yet, even as the military tallied these tactical successes, the shadow of terror loomed large in central Nigeria. On December 16, in Barkin Ladi County outside Jos, terrorists attacked a mining camp, killing twelve Christians and injuring at least five more. The attack, which occurred about 30 miles south of Plateau State’s capital, unfolded over 30 to 45 harrowing minutes. According to TruthNigeria, the assailants, speaking Fulani and shouting “Allahu Akbar,” stormed the isolated camp near Nding village around 11 p.m., using the surrounding hills and the cover of a thin crescent moon to their advantage. Survivors reported that the attackers overwhelmed scattered civilian guards, while soldiers stationed just 2–3 miles away arrived a staggering eight hours after the massacre.
“Look at human lives wasted,” lamented Dalyop Solomon, President of the Berom Youth Association, as he pointed to the victims’ bodies. “They were innocent people mining to feed their families—not rustlers, not thieves. They were contributing to this country’s development. But today, they are lifeless.” Solomon criticized the military’s late response, echoing the anguish and frustration felt by many in the community.
Choji Jak Dung, the youth leader of Fann, recounted that there had been advance warnings about planned attacks, including a terror alert issued just three hours before the incident. “Two days ago, they tried to attack Nding Sesut but were repelled. Yesterday, they came back pretending to be miners. By the time anyone realised, the killings had started,” Dung told TruthNigeria. Local leaders, including Barkin Ladi Chairman Stephen Gyang Pwajok, called for urgent action. “Security is everybody’s business. These attacks keep recurring—last week in Dorong, now in Fann. The agencies are trying, but daily attacks are spiralling out of control.”
This latest atrocity adds to a string of attacks in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, which have claimed at least 20 Christian lives since early December. On December 12, a separate attack killed eight people, including four children. State Assemblyman Dickson Chollom criticized the military’s failure to act on advance intelligence and called for full military raids on identified terrorist camps. “We are beginning to see a wave of attacks which is a recurring decimal—it’s a circle we’ve been experiencing especially during the Yuletide,” Chollom said. “But one thing that is devastating is that there’s always been advance warnings of attacks. Yet, they will still happen.” Chollom demanded a shift in strategy, arguing, “If you call it farmer-herder clashes, there’s no farming or herding at night when these attacks happen. This is pure terrorism, calculated to wipe out a race.”
Amid these tragedies, Nigerian security services made headlines in August with the arrest of two major Ansaru leaders: Mahmud Usman (alias Abu Bara’) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (also called Mahmuda). According to the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Usman was described as Ansaru’s emir, responsible for coordinating sleeper cells across Nigeria and masterminding kidnappings and terrorist financing operations. Al-Nigeri headed the “Mahmudawa” faction of Ansaru around Kainji National Park, with members reportedly trained in Libya under jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria during the peak of Islamic State’s rule. He specialized in weapons handling and IED fabrication and was responsible for naming Usman as the group’s emir.
Usman’s long career in the Nigerian jihadist movement is notable. He was a commander under the movement’s original leader, Muhammed Yusuf, who was killed extrajudicially in 2009. Usman later became one of Ansaru’s original leaders, particularly active in recruiting young anti-Sufi Salafis and conducting operations against the Nigerian army. According to SARI Global, Usman was involved in drafting an article explaining Ansaru’s split from the more brutal tactics of Abubakar Shekau’s faction, which was published in a 2017 edition of the al-Qaeda publication al-Risalah. The article offered a rare insider perspective on the group’s origins, recounting how a jihadist named Muhammad Ali returned from Saudi Arabia to Borno State and, with support from Nigerians abroad and mediation by Yemeni al-Qaeda operative Abu Muhammed al-Yemeni, helped found the movement that would eventually become Ansaru.
Despite the significance of these arrests, analysts remain skeptical that they will stem the tide of jihadist violence in northwestern Nigeria. As Premium Times and The Journal of the Middle East and Africa note, Ansaru’s resilience and integration with regional jihadist networks—particularly Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)—mean that leadership disruptions alone are unlikely to halt their activities. JNIM’s first claimed attack in Kwara State in November 2025 is seen as part of a broader pattern of al-Qaeda operations in Nigeria, dating back to the mid-1990s when operatives first arrived from Afghanistan.
These recent events highlight both the progress and persistent challenges in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism. While the military’s tactical victories are encouraging, the continuing cycle of violence, the resilience of jihadist networks, and the tragic loss of civilian lives make clear that a multifaceted and sustained approach remains urgently needed.
