Troops neutralise 286 terrorists, rescue 122 kidnap victims in one week

The Military High Command, on Thursday, said that in the renewed effort towards ending insurgency activities in the country, the troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies have neutralised 286 terrorists and arrested 244 of them within the last week.

Speaking with Defence Correspondents in Abuja during the bi-weekly briefing on the ongoing Military Operations by the Armed Forces of Nigeria AFN and other security agencies in the various theatres of operations across the six geo-political zones of the country in the last week, Director Media Operations DMO Major General Edward Buba disclosed that the Troops also arrested 83 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 122 kidnapped hostages.

He added that in the South-South, the troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of Two Billion Five Hundred and Sixty-Five Million Four Hundred and Seventy-Nine Thousand and Seven Hundred and Twenty Naira (N2,565,479,720.00) only.

According to him, “Furthermore, troops recovered 587 assorted weapons and 7,943 assorted ammunition. The breakdown is as follows: 207 AK47 rifles, 56 locally fabricated guns, 17 pump action guns, 10 locally fabricated pistols, 22 Dane guns, one FN rifle, 6 double barrel automatic pump action, 2 double barrel guns, 2 x 36 hand grenades and 10 IEDs.

“Others are: 4,088 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 2,529 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 138 rounds of 9mm ammo, 39 rounds of 7.62mm refilled ammo, 331 P445 rounds of 7.62mm special, 180 rounds 5.5mm ammo, 2 PKT link of 7.62mm special, 445 live cartridges, 67 magazines, 6 HH radios,14 vehicles, 32 motorcycles, 34 mobile phones and the sum of N4,876,950.00 amongst other items.

He further explained that in addition,” ” Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and discovered and destroyed 134 dugout pits, 79 boats, and 116 storage tanks.

According to him, “Other items recovered include 149 cooking ovens, one speedboat, 11 vehicles, 8 motorcycles, and 74 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 2,947,770 litres of stolen crude oil, 251,800 litres of illegally refined AGO, 6,125 litres of DPK, and 6,790 litres of PMS.

The DMO pointed out that, ” on one hand, the above is indicative of the fact that troops are recording successes week in and week out in the ongoing counters insurgency operations across the country. On the other hand, the classic principle of counterinsurgency is that you can not win this kind of war militarily.

General Edward Buba who declared that the military was wasting no time and sparing any effort to ensure security and safety of citizens across the country reassured that the AFN would continue to take necessary measures to ensure a secure and safer environment for citizens.

According to him, “Following the chorus of voices saturating the airwaves in the country, there is no gain in saying that there are salient challenges affecting our country that require practical ideas and solutions. It is against this background that the military finds itself uniquely positioned to unabatedly address the security challenges in the country.

“The armed forces are not only ensuring decimation of terrorist and their cohorts in the country. It remains focused and concentrates on the task and mission at hand.

“We have eliminated several terrorists, their leaders and commanders. Troops are continually going after the terrorist and dislodging them from their hideouts. Despite all these, it would appear that there is more to be done to win this war outside the use of military pressure.

” Accordingly, we must now win this war by changing the conditions that make the insurgents willing to fight. We must also win the war by increasing support for government at various levels through heart and mind projects indicative of good governance.

” There is no doubt that the times that we are in, are difficult and therefore a watershed moment for our country. Citizens are urged to realize that tough times do not last, but tough people do. As a people, we are renowned for our pride in being tough and resilient.

” There is no better time to manifest these qualities in us in overcoming the pains of today, in order for the gains of tomorrow. I dare say that, this too shall pass.

” The time is ripe for patriotic and well-meaning citizens to contribute alternative ideas on ways to make a difference in turning the situation around. Collaborative effort is essential at this time. Simply put, we are one people, one nation, and one destiny.“