Nigeria in June 2026: the most important developments in security
In June 2026, Nigeria's military reported major operations in the north-east. On 7 June, forces freed 360 hostages, including women and children, from a Boko Haram mountain hideout in Borno state. On 4 June, troops in Borno rescued abductees and arrested Boko Haram collaborators. On 1 June, a Nigeria-US intelligence-led strike killed 21 ISWAP fighters in Borno, and Operation Hadin Kai reported a heavy month against armed groups in the North East for May. On 10 June, AFRICOM stated that the US military presence in Nigeria rests on an invitation from the Nigerian government, and on 23 June the UK's deputy chief of defence visited Maiduguri to strengthen military ties.
Kidnappings continued elsewhere. On 4 June, gunmen abducted seven students in northwest Nigeria, while police dismissed fears of a school kidnapping in Abuja. Police rescued five kidnapped victims in Abuja on 10 June. Police dismissed claims that abducted Oyo pupils and teachers had been flown to Kaduna. On 23 June, an attack in Plateau state left 20 people dead.
In Lagos, police arrested four suspected cultists and recovered weapons on 4 June, and on 23 June arrested suspects linked to robbery and cult gangs and seized firearms. A suspected bomb explosion injured one person. A false bandit alarm in Lagos ended with a mob killing a 24-year-old motorcyclist, and police warned against reprisal attacks on South Africans in Nigeria. The group Afenifere warned that terrorism and banditry could lead to ethnic conflicts, and the UN reported that weapons looted during the Libyan conflict have been found with armed groups in Nigeria.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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