Daud Olatunji
The Nigerian military has neutralized 177 terrorists, apprehended 263 others, and rescued 158 kidnapped hostages in various operations across the nation within the past week.
This information was disclosed by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, in a statement released on Friday in Abuja.
The military’s operations have yielded substantial recoveries of weapons and ammunition.
Among the seized items were 170 assorted weapons and 4,692 assorted rounds of ammunition.
The recovered weapons included six PKT guns, 63 AK-47 rifles, three FN rifles, one SMG rifle, 29 locally fabricated guns, 37 dane guns, and 20 pump-action guns.
Additionally, 2,100 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 1,239 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 419 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 212 rounds of 5.56 x 54mm ammo, and 722 live cartridges were among the ammunition recovered.
Other items seized included 13 empty cases of 7.62mm ammo, 74 AK-47 magazines, two FN magazines, six Baofeng radios, 17 vehicles, 43 motorcycles, 31 mobile phones, and the sum of N2.1 million.
In the North-East, troops of Operation Hadin Kai neutralized 64 terrorists, arrested 55 suspects, and rescued 29 kidnapped hostages.
This region also saw the surrender of 751 Boko Haram, ISWAP, and JAS terrorist fighters along with their family members.
The operation also led to the recovery of numerous caches of arms and ammunition.
Troops of Operations Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke in the North-Central region neutralized 25 insurgents, arrested 64 violent extremists, and rescued 42 kidnapped hostages.
The operations significantly disrupted the activities of violent groups in the region, contributing to an enhanced security situation.
In the North-West, troops of Operation Hadarin Daji neutralized 52 terrorists, arrested 41 terrorists, and rescued 49 kidnapped hostages.
The operation also resulted in the recovery of substantial arms caches, further weakening terrorist capabilities in the region.
Additionally, troops of Operation Whirl Punch neutralized 19 terrorists, arrested 20 suspects, and rescued ten kidnapped hostages within the week.
Troops of Operation Delta Safe maintained pressure against crude oil theft, apprehending 41 perpetrators and rescuing 158 kidnapped hostages.
The operations denied oil thieves an estimated N501.08 million by discovering and destroying 49 illegal refining sites, which included 20 dugout pits, 32 boats, and 32 storage tanks. Items recovered included 58 cooking ovens, 17 vehicles, one pumping machine, five mobile phones, and one million litres of stolen crude oil along with 141,664 litres of illegally refined AGO.
In the South-East, troops of Operation UDOKA neutralized 17 terrorists, arrested 42 violent extremists, and rescued ten kidnapped hostages.
Maj.-Gen. Buba reiterated the military’s commitment to intensifying efforts to address the security situation across the country.
“Troops are taking the fight to the terrorists and making significant strides each passing day. Much is being done; however, we are focused on doing much more to address the security situation and safeguard citizens,” he stated.
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