Army Says Detention of Kanu, Ekpa Has Boosted Security in South-East

Story: written by Zara January 2,2026
The Nigerian Army has attributed the recent improvement in security across the South-East to the continued incarceration of separatist figures Nnamdi Kanu and Simon Ekpa.

This was disclosed by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, who said criminal activities in the region have declined significantly.

According to Onoja, the reduction in violence followed sustained military operations in the South-East and recent court decisions involving the separatist leaders, including the imprisonment of Simon Ekpa by authorities in Finland and the detention of Nnamdi Kanu.

“Incidents of crime and violence have dropped markedly over the past year due to intensified troop operations across the South-East and legal actions taken against their leaders,” he stated.

The defence spokesman noted that these developments have weakened the operational strength of the groups, which previously targeted lightly guarded checkpoints and security formations.

Such attacks, he explained, often led to the killing of security personnel and the seizure of arms later used for further attacks in the region.

The Army assured that ongoing operations will continue in order to consolidate recent successes, safeguard lives and property, and prevent criminal elements from regrouping in the South-East.