By Augustine Aminu
Nigerian Defence Headquarters, DHQ, on Friday stated that it troops are “eliminating more and more terrorist commanders and combatants on the battlefield” through sustained operations across the country.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba disclosed this in a brief to newsmen on Friday in Abuja, adding that Nigeria’s armed forces is determined and remains focused to destroy terrorist networks and infrastructures across the country.
Buba said during the last two weeks, troops neutralised 118 terrorists, arrested 97 others, arrested 18 perpetrators of oil theft, and rescued 96 kidnapped hostages.
“In the SS, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of Seven Hundred and Ninety Three Million Two Hundred and Fifty Seven Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Naira (N793,257,250.00) only.
“Furthermore, troops recovered 87 assorted weapons and 2,244 assorted ammunition. The breakdown as follows: one PKT gun, one PKM one RPG, one auto pistol, 43 AK47 rifles, 14 fabricated rifles, 14 dane guns, 5 pump action guns, 6 AK47 magazines, 3 boefeng radios,” Gen. Buba stated.
“Others are: 1,715 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 505 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 8 rounds of 9mm ammo, 14 live cartridges, 89 empty cases of 7.62mm ammo, 10 vehicles, 33 motorcycles, 50 mobile phones and the sum of N778,560.00 only amongst other items.
“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 4 dugout pits, 48 boats, 3 speedboats, 156 drums and 34 storage tanks. Other items recovered include 28 cooking ovens, 8 vehicles, one motorcycles, one tricycle and 44 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 602,200 litres of stolen crude oil, 64,900 litres of illegally refined AGO, 12,690 litres of PMS.
“Troops are in a good place in winning the war against terrorist. Indeed, the armed forces would continue to innovate and develop new strategies to defend the country and protect citizens from the perpetrators of insecurity,” the DHQ added.