Gallant troops subdued no fewer than 317 terrorists and criminals while rescuing 221 kidnap victims in major May manhunt and coordinated operations nationwide, according to Defence Headquarters on Tuesday in Abuja.
Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Major General Micheal Onoja, disclosed this at an end-of-month defence correspondents briefing which was held at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja to give important updates on ongoing multi-theatre military operations across respective geo-political zones of the country.
He said that the aggressive operations which were conducted with sister security agencies, led to 18 terrorists surrendering, 93 arms recovered and the destruction of three illegal refining sites in the oil-rich Niger Delta region which led to 21,910 litres of assorted petroleum products linked to oil theft activities impounded.
According to him, troops sustained coordinated land, air and maritime offensives in May this year, targeting terrorist enclaves, logistics networks, gun-running syndicates and criminal collaborators operating across the country.
Major General Onoja while giving updates on operations in the North-East under Operation HADIN KAI, Onoja disclosed that troops recorded major breakthroughs against Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters across Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Taraba states.
He further said that 73 insurgents were neutralised, 159 arrested, while 112 civilians were rescued during various operations conducted within the period under review.
Key operations cited as significant breakthroughs for the troops included the rescue of women and children abducted from Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State during attacks not long ago this year.
He stated that troops repelled a large number of the criminals in coordinated terrorist attacks, including assaults on military formations in Magumeri and Buni Gari, where troops engaged insurgents in fierce gun battles, recovering anti-aircraft guns, RPG tubes, ammunition and other combat equipment.
The defence media operations spokesman also disclosed that troops intercepted terrorist logistics convoys attempting to move supplies across the Nigeria-Cameroon border, while sustained pressure from military offensives forced several terrorists and collaborators to surrender to troops.
In the North-West under Operation FANSAN YAMMA,Major General Onoja said troops neutralised 24 terrorists, arrested 13 suspects and rescued 22 kidnapped victims during operations across Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
He said that troops also dismantled arms supply networks linked to notorious bandit leaders, including Bello Turji, while several attacks on military formations and critical infrastructure were successfully repelled.
According to him, troops recovered weapons, motorcycles, livestock and cash during raids on terrorist enclaves and fighting patrols conducted across the region.
On the recent kidnap incident in Oyo State, Major General Onoja said that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) , General Olufemi Oluyede, had directed immediate reinforcement of security operations, including aerial surveillance and specialised ground missions to rescue victims and apprehend perpetrators.
He said the Armed Forces remained committed to protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity and safeguarding lives and property across the country.
Major General Onoja commended troops for their professionalism, resilience and sacrifice in ongoing operations, while also paying tribute to personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty.
He urged Nigerians to continue to support security agencies with credible and timely intelligence to enhance ongoing counterterrorism and anti-criminality operations nationwide.
Relatedly, a sharp angle was introduced into ongoing war on terror as DHQ announced a fresh sweep on local marabouts now identified as a major support system allegedly aiding terrorists as civilian informants, spiritual enables and logistics suppliers within the terrorism ecosystem
According to Major General Onoja, it had been revealed such enablers had surreptitiously turned themselves into a critical support structure boosting terrorism in parts of the country, operating within local communities as spiritual fortifiers and logistics collaborators.
Major General Michael Onoja, said, during a recent operations in Kogi State, troops arrested two suspected terrorist logistics suppliers and marabouts accused of providing spiritual protection and material support to criminal gangs operating within the Agbaja Forest.
He said the suspects were apprehended during a high-risk raid around the Felele area of Lokoja Local Government Area.
Recovered items included vigilante identity cards, ATM cards, mobile phones, machetes and assorted herbal substances believed to be linked to ritual fortification practices used by armed groups.
The development brings into official reckoning within Nigeria’s security architecture, that terrorism and banditry apart from being sustained by weapons and ransom money were now driven by critical support structure sustaining terrorism in parts of the country, spiritual fortifiers and logistics collaborators embedded within local communities.
The DHQ noted that troops were now intensifying operations not only against armed fighters but also against collaborators, informants and criminal financiers sustaining insecurity across the country, a radical shift and focus that now emphasises the dismantling of ideological and spiritual support networks to reduce the influence of extremist groups that wields power over vulnerable communities.
