The Nigerian military has reported the recovery of N793 million worth of stolen crude oil and the neutralisation of 118 terrorists within the past week.
This announcement came from the Defence Headquarters in a statement issued on Friday by Major General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations.
According to the statement, troops deployed to the South-South region, particularly in the Niger Delta,
successfully seized 602,200 litres of stolen crude oil, 64,900 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and 12,690 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) during several operations.
In addition, 18 suspected oil thieves were apprehended, and 44 illegal refining sites were discovered and destroyed.
The value of the recovered items, which include 28 cooking ovens, 8 vehicles, one motorcycle, one tricycle, 4 dugout pits, 48 boats, 3 speedboats,
156 drums, and 34 storage tanks, was estimated at N793,257,250. Major General Buba emphasized that the operations in the South-South region are part of the military’s ongoing efforts to combat oil theft, which has crippled Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy.
“These recoveries represent a significant blow to the illegal oil trade that has long plagued the Niger Delta region,” Buba said..”
“Troops are actively working to dismantle the network of oil thieves, bringing both their operations and financial gains to a halt.”
While the South-South operations focus on economic sabotage, the military also ramped up counter-terrorism activities across Nigeria’s northern regions, dealing heavy blows to insurgent groups. In the same period, the military reported the neutralisation of 118 terrorists, the arrest of 97 suspects, and the rescue of 96 hostages who had been kidnapped.
The military’s actions in the North included recovering a cache of weapons and ammunition.
According to Major General Buba, troops seized 87 assorted weapons, including a PKT gun, a PKM machine gun, an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade), 43 AK-47 rifles, 14 fabricated rifles, and five pump-action guns.
In addition, 2,244 rounds of ammunition, including 1,715 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and 505 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, were also recovered.
The breakdown of recovered items included AK-47 magazines, live cartridges, 89 empty cases of 7.62mm ammunition, 10 vehicles, 33 motorcycles, and 50 mobile phones.
The military also recovered the sum of N778,560 from the terrorists.
Major General Buba noted that the military remains committed to neutralising threats to Nigeria’s territorial integrity and security.
“The successful operations in both the South-South and Northern regions underscore the military’s resolve to root out criminal elements endangering the nation’s peace and stability,” he said.
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