By Halima Sule, Abuja
After killing humongous 10, 937 terrorists and arresting 12, 538 others and rescuing 7, 063 kidnap victims in 2024, the Nigerian military doubled down on Tuesday in Abuja, asking terrorists to either shift base or risk final defeat in 2025. It said because troops had sufficiently tamed and dislodged terrorists’ fighting ability in 2024 across the various theatres, it’s a walkover in New Year.
Counting on Federal Government’s assurances of an imminent end to insecurity in the country, the Defence Headquarters said 2025 will record more victories for the troops to enable Nigerians to enjoy unhindered peace time.
Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Edward Buba who addressed newsmen at an end of year briefing on troops’ operational activities from January to December 2024, on behalf of the top military command, described the major security threats in the out-going year as terrorism, armed banditry, kidnapping, oil theft, secessionist agitations and farmers-herders clashes. He said that troops recorded considerable successes.
“Importantly, troops in the battlefield are in high spirits, fully committed, devoted and believe in the justness of the cause. Troops will be going the extra mile in the New Year to get the job done“, he said.
Stressing that the war was not for the armed forces alone, but for all citizens, he urged citizens to give more support to win the war.
He said that during the out-gone year, troops significantly degraded the terrorists’ military capabilities, recovered 8,815 weapons, 228,004 ammunitions and denied the oil theft of an estimated sum over N68 billion (N68,453,376,040.00) only.
According to him, “over the last 12 months, troops were confronted by several existential threats across the country ranging from armed banditry, kidnapping for ransom, crude oil theft, violent extremism, insurgency as well as terrorism, among others’’.
“Several of these threats adversely affected innocent citizens and disrupted peace and security in the country”, he noted, adding that
troops’ war efforts were specifically designed to defeat and destroy the terrorists as well as dismantle their terror infrastructure across the country.
He pointed out that troops mounted continued, relentless, and painful pressure on the terrorists’ enclaves as well as hideouts and strongholds geared towards defeating them.
Major General Edward Buba further stated that troops eliminated over a thousand notable terrorists’ leaders and commanders in the course of the year, acting on credible and actionable intelligence in concert with the professional skill of the Nigerian military.
They included Dutse Mainasara Idda, Mallam Saleh Umaru,
Mohammed Amadu, Chinemerem (aka Bam Bam), Jeremiah Uzuoma (aka Escoba), Tochukwu Awo (aka Ojoto) and Egwuatu and others who he said met their deaths at different encounters.
He also gave a breakdown of recoveries by the troops are as 4,332 AK47 rifles, 1,244 locally fabricated guns, 838 dane guns, 259 pump action guns, 128,496 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 45,445 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 5,103 cartridges, 2,131 assorted arms and 29,176 assorted ammunitions.
Others were 56,223,002 litres of stolen crude oil, 9,735,836 litres of illegally refined AGO, 95,595 litres of DPK and 156,527 litres of PMS, amongst other items.
He assured that troops were focused on delivering increasing tangible benefits of their operations for the benefit of citizens. He further said that troops’ morale were high hence the desire of the military to commit to heightening collaboration with neighbouring countries and regional bodies to collectively tackle the menace of terrorism.
‘Bello Turji, a walking dead man’
The defence media spokesman also seized the opportunity of the briefing to respond to rantings of a wanted notorious terrorist and bandit leader, Bello Turji captured in a viral video recently. Without much thought, he dubbed the criminal, ‘’ a dead man walking’’, reiterating the order of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa to take him out.
Relatedly, the CDS in a 2024 Year-in-Review programme on December 31, 2024 had stated that key commanders of the wanted bandit kingpin terrorizing and causing widespread destruction, violence and extortion for ransom in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi States had been eliminated and his several allies arrested.
Cautioning media owners against ceding their platforms for cheap publicity to terrorists and bandits such as Bello Turji, Major General Edward Buba said that engaging in verbal exchange with terrorists was beneath the military’s esteemed standards, restating that Bello Turji’s fate would be similar to previous loquacious terrorist leaders who were decisively neutralized and sent to their deserved graves by the gallant men of the armed forces.
“Indeed, Bello Turji is merely a dead man walking. It will be insulting to try to join issues and words with a terrorist. Before him, there were other terrorists who boasted that they would deal with security forces. Today they are all taken out. We will do the same with other terrorist leaders like him,” Buba said.
He dismissed terrorist propaganda surrounding the Sokoto incident, urging citizens not to be swayed. “Don’t give in to terrorist propaganda… Of course, terrorists will put up propaganda. Don’t feed into their propaganda, please,” he cautioned.
Highlighting past successes, he noted, “All these terrorist leaders that we are seeing today, before them, there were some that thought that they were champions upon champions. Where are they? They are buried… They are dead men walking.”
Looking ahead, Maj. Gen. Buba expressed confidence in the military’s ongoing efforts to eradicate terrorism, predicting a decisive defeat of terrorist elements in 2025.
“Many of the things that we have witnessed in this outgoing year 2024, it is a sign of the major defeat of the terrorists in 2025,” he declared. “We killed over 10,000 terrorists, arrested over 12,000, and recovered a significant cache of weapons and ammunition. Victory is non-negotiable.”
Buba noted that terrorists were now surrendering not only in the Northeast but also in the Northwest and North-Central regions, signaling a shift in the tide against insurgency in Nigeria.
“Our troops are determined, and the nation will witness even greater successes in the fight against terrorism in the New Year,” he said.
