Edo guber: Troops deployed to ensure free, fair poll — DHQ

Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Friday clarified that troops were strategically deployed to the state to ensure that the exercise is violence-free, fair and credible.

This was contained in a statement made available to Defence Correspondents in Abuja by Director, Defence Media Operations, Major Gen Edward Buba on update report on ongoing military operations against insurgency activities in the various theaters of operations across the country at Friday, 20 September this year

According to the statement, “Troops role is to support the police to ensure voters safety and security. Accordingly, troops presence is to thwart the activities of those elements bent on fermenting crisis during the elections.

“The armed forces is taking resolute steps in ending terrorism and insecurity in the country, through ongoing operations.

“Accordingly, the operations are yielding desired results as troops dismantle terrorist network and decimate their leadership and combatants.”

It pointed out that indeed, several of the terrorist leaders and commanders have been eliminated from the battlefield.

According to it, “During the week under review, troops neutralised 159 and arrested 174 persons. arrested 45 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 188 kidnapped hostages.

“In the South South troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of seven hundred and thirty six million, nine hundred and seventy one thousand, four hundred and fifty naira (N736,971,450.00) only.

“Furthermore, troops recovered 151 assorted weapons and 12,401 assorted ammunition.

“The breakdown as follows: 3 PKT guns, one SLR, 92 AK47 rifles, 25 fabricated rifles, 15 dane guns, 4 pump action guns, 4 locally made pistols, one pistol, 2 RPG tubes, one RPG bomb, 66 AK47 magazines, one FN magazine, 2 locally fabricated hand grenades.

“Others are: 10,346 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 1,094 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 92 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammo, 479 rounds of PKT ammo, 182 rounds of MG ammo, 43 rounds of 9.5mm ammo, 12 rounds of 9mm ammo, 35 live cartridges, 35 empty cases of 7.62mm ammo, 2 baofeng radios, 15 vehicles, 39 motorcycles, 28 mobile phones and the sum of N5,386,200.00 only amongst other items.

“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 9 dugout pits, 35 boats, 4 speedboats, 32 drums and 57 storage tanks.

“Other items recovered include 20 cooking ovens, one pumping machine, 14 vehicles, one motorcycles, one tricycle, 10 mobile phones and 71 illegal refining sites.

“Troops recovered 788,400 litres of stolen crude oil, 28,995 litres of illegally refined AGO, 300 litres of DPK and 3,000 litres of PMS.”

While reassuring that military operations against the terrorist and violent extremist remained aimed at providing security and stability for the nation and citizens It stated that the troops would continue to be relentless in pursuit of ending all forms of insecurity across the country.

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Heavy security presence in Edo ahead Saturday’s guber election