In a significant counter-insurgency effort, Nigerian soldiers have killed 187 terrorists and arrested 183 others over the past two weeks. The troops also rescued 109 kidnapped hostages, recovered 128 assorted weapons, and seized 3,300 rounds of ammunition. Additionally, 832 terrorists, including 88 males, 256 females, and 488 children, surrendered to the military.
Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, revealed these details, noting that troops discovered and destroyed 57 illegal refining sites and seized over 1.25 million liters of stolen crude oil, 213,539 liters of illegally refined diesel, and 1,230 liters of petrol. They also dismantled 18 dugout pits, 30 boats, and 49 storage tanks in the Niger Delta, preventing crude oil theft valued at over N1 billion.
The anti-crude oil theft operations also led to the recovery of 66 cooking ovens, four drums, five speedboats, 15 vehicles, two tricycles, a generator, and 11 mobile phones.
General Buba highlighted the complexity of the ongoing operations, emphasizing the challenging terrains and the adaptable nature of the adversaries. He assured that the military is determined to crush the enemy swiftly.
“Troops are fighting on ground, air, at sea, and in the cyber dimension across several parts of the country. The common enemy in all our operations are the terrorists,” Buba stated.
During a media briefing, General Buba provided an update on the military’s efforts, detailing the weapons and equipment seized. Among the recovered items were one PKT gun, 80 AK-47 rifles, 15 locally fabricated guns, 15 dane guns, two FN rifles, five pump-action guns, two single-barrel guns, four locally fabricated pistols, a fabricated Beretta pistol, a locally made double-barrel gun, two hand grenades, and two primed IEDs.
He also listed the recovered ammunition: 1,941 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 729 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 377 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 191 rounds of 5.56mm, 199 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm, 16 rounds of 9mm, 26 live cartridges, and 26 empty cases of cartridges. Additional items included 26 AK-47 magazines, six Baofeng radios, ten vehicles, four motorcycles, four walkie-talkies, mobile phones, and N102,010 in cash.
General Buba reiterated the military’s commitment to thwarting terrorist plans, particularly targeting critical infrastructure. “We have measures in place to forestall such plans, and security agencies responsible for securing critical infrastructure are on high alert,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of public cooperation in maintaining security and assured that the military is resolute in protecting the nation. “We fight for the safety and security of our citizens and to safeguard our nation and way of life. We will defeat the terrorists on the battlefield and help our nation flourish again,” General Buba concluded.
