The Nigeria Police Force recorded 418 homicide cases and 227 kidnapping cases across the country in September and October 2026, according to figures presented at a joint security briefing in Abuja on Thursday, 5 November.

The figures were disclosed by Force Public Relations Officer CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu at the briefing organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser, which brought together the military, police and intelligence agencies to report on operations over the two-month period.

The police also reported making 1,519 arrests, neutralising 56 armed criminals and rescuing 255 kidnapped victims during the same period. The figures cover incidents recorded by the police and do not amount to court convictions.

What the police figures cover

The police figures were presented alongside a separate operational report from the Defence Headquarters, which said troops conducted 588 operations in September and October, killing 435 terrorists, rescuing 717 kidnapped victims and arresting 809 suspects. A further 198 insurgents surrendered during the period, the military said.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen Samaila Uba, told journalists at the briefing that the operations targeted Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province and kidnapping gangs, and ruled out any ceasefire with Boko Haram. He said sustained military pressure had forced some insurgents to move southwards from the north-east and north-west.

The Department of State Services also reported results from the two months, including foiling a planned mass abduction in Bakori, Katsina State, in which 18 bandits were killed and 45 victims rescued. The service said it intercepted arms couriers operating across Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Benue states and secured convictions including life imprisonment for terrorism offences.

Why the figures matter

The briefing is the fullest official account yet of the security picture in the two months to the end of October, a period in which kidnapping and banditry remained a central concern for communities across northern and central Nigeria.

Separate data compiled by Daily Trust from media reports confirmed by police authorities showed at least 98 police officers were killed in 21 states between January and October 2026, with Yobe recording the highest toll at 17, followed by Zamfara and Kebbi with 14 each. Bandits were blamed for 35 of those deaths, gunmen for 29 and Boko Haram for 22.

Security agencies say the joint briefings will continue as part of a coordinated national response, with the presidency having ordered a National Threat Assessment to rank the principal threats facing the country within 90 days.