The Federal Government has declared that the Nation’s security agencies recorded substantial progress in the fight against insecurity in the month of September 2025.
Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, who stated the position of the government on Monday, October 13, 2025, in Abuja, also said the coordinated actions of Nigeria’s security, enforcement, and regulatory agencies demonstrated the President Bola Tinubu-led government’s commitment to national safety, transparency, and inclusive governance.
Issa-Onilu told journalists at the October National Joint Security press briefing, which he chairs, that the nation’s security agencies demonstrated improved coordination and proactiveness, thereby shifted from reactive responses to preventive operations.
The NOA DG said that securing the country goes far beyond military operations, saying that it rests on collaboration, vigilance, and mutual trust.
While providing a cohesive, data-driven account of the nation’s security drive, Issa-Onilu noted that the Nigerian Army in particular, conducted 196 operations nationwide in September, neutralizing terrorists, rescuing kidnapped victims, and dismantling illegal arms networks.
The DG, NOA also said that intelligence services moved more decisively from response to prevention in September this year, which led to the interception of arms couriers across Niger, Plateau, Kaduna, Ekiti, Ebonyi, and Katsina States before weapons could reach terror cells.
He further said that the intelligence community demonstrated maturity in proactive surveillance while smugglers using hidden compartments and disguised consignments were apprehended through real-time tracking, community intelligence tips, and sophisticated profiling.
According to Issa-Onilu; “76 hostages were rescued in Katsina, while 30 terrorists surrendered with their families in Borno State. The Armed Forces effectively combined precision operations with humanitarian safeguarding through better logistics and local collaboration”.
Issa-Onilu also announced that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), arrested 1,703 drug suspects and seized over 212,000 kilogrammes of narcotics, just as NAFDAC successfully confiscated several fake and unregistered products nationwide.
Similarly, the DG, NOA said withing the period under review, the Nigerian Correctional Service foiled drug smuggling attempts into the Kuje Correctional and Custodial Centre, just as the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) responded to 589 road crashes and rescued 3,848 people.
He also said that the the Nigeria Customs Service generated N658.6 billion in revenue, intercepted firearms and contraband, while the Immigration Service thwarted several human trafficking and illegal migration attempts.
The NOA boss further said; “The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recovered over N600 million and secured three convictions, while the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) flagged illegal mining as a source of terrorism financing”.
Issa-Onilu emphasised that security is a shared responsibility requiring active participation of citizen, mutual trust, and access to accurate and needed information.
In the words of Issa-Onilu; “From conflict zones to correctional reforms, our focus remains citizen-centered. The public must work hand in hand with the government to secure our nation”.
The DG, NOA warned Nigerians against spreading unverified information on social media, stressing that misinformation fuels panic and undermines confidence in security operations.
Issa-Onilu tasked Nigerians to report suspicious movements, illegal activities, and substandard products through official hotlines and digital platforms of agencies such as the Nigeria Police, NDLEA, NAFDAC, and Immigration Service.
