The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed that Special Operations Forces (SOF), known across the world’s best armies as ‘’specially trained military units that use unconventional methods of warfare’’ have been deployed to hotbeds of attacks across the country especially the volatile Mangu local Government Area of Plateau State where renewed clashes between violent extremists Fulani militias/ insurgents and locals have lingered since Tuesday, January 23, 2024.
This development, in warfare history, signals the stage whereby special ‘’hit and run’ offensive is introduced to decisively deal with stubborn or defiant war situations. Their deployment is to achieve disruption by ‘’hit and run’’ and sabotage, rather than more traditional combat.
By their training and standard operational procedure (SOP), acclaimed to be the toughest in the modern military, SOFs conduct only rare and unconventional operations by air, land, or sea during combat or peace time such as raids, demolitions, reconnaissance, search and rescue, and counterterrorism.
Nigerian Spokesman’s checks reveal that SOFs were quietly birthed and gained famed prominence in the combat architecture of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) during the 66-month tenure of former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin (retd) who, it was further gathered, kept details of the SOFs from unauthorized quarters.
It was also gathered that DHQ under him raised, nurtured and deployed them to achieve certain ‘’stubborn’’ operations within and outside the country. They are military units trained to conduct special operations or activities under specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment.
At a regular bi-weekly briefing of defence correspondents yesterday in Abuja, the DHQ revealed that tension broke out in Mangu in the early hours of 23 January 2024 escalating and resulting in breakdown of law and order in the town and adjoining communities, further disclosing that from Gangaran Kwata, it escalated to other parts of Mangu LGA despite concerted efforts by troops deployed to the general area to restore normalcy.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, at the briefing, unveiled last-ditch efforts being made by the security forces to restore order and normalcy in the affected places.
“We have also deployed several battlefield enablers to enhance intelligence and strike capability on these terrorists. We are encouraging the warring factions to shield their swords”, he said.
He then disclosed that Special forces had been deployed to conduct targeted operations in order to halt further escalation of crises and insecurity in the area and other hotspots.
“Indeed, we may not have all the answers now. However, we assure citizens that we are working assiduously to address the situation both in the immediate and long term to ensure safety of lives and property.
“We are redoubling our efforts to ensure citizens live in a peaceful environment and have prosperous life. This is achievable and we are focused on achieving it”, he said.
Major General Edward Buba further noted that the armed forces was determined and “would destroy the cancer of terrorism that is ravaging our country thereby creating situations such as is ongoing in the Plateau State.”
According to him, ‘’the situation of insecurity that we are confronted with is self-inflicted by own citizens upon one another. Nevertheless, it is our duty to protect citizens and create a safe environment for them to have a prosperous future’’.
The Director said that troops of Operations Safe Haven had arrested suspected violent extremists/insurgents including a Fulani militia gang leader in Mangu and Wase LGAs of Plateau State just as troops foiled a number of Fulani militias’ attack on locals in Mangu and Bokkos LGAs of the State on January 17, 18 and 19, 2024 and recovered a total of 5 AK47 rifle with 123 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammo and 2 motorcycle.
He further said that while troops’ response to information on a large number of armed Fulani militias mobilizing to attack a community in Bokkos LGA of Plateau State on January 18 , 2024 resulted in troops neutralization of 10 insurgents and recovery of 10 AK47 rifles, 210 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 5 mobile phones and 29 rounds of PKT ammo, the military and other security forces would continue to do the needful.
On January 19, 2024, following a tip off, troops arrested one suspected violent extremist/Fulani militia gang leader identified as Dahiru Musa in Mangu LGA of Plateau State who turned out to have been on the wanted list of security agencies, he said.
Giving further assurance to peace-loving citizens on their safety and security, Major General Edward Buba said, “We (military) do not take lightly the privilege and enormous responsibility of safeguarding our citizens. It is for this reason that we constantly rejig our operational strategies in order to adopt the best course of action that would make these ugly experiences a thing of the past’’.
On the Federal Capital Territory, FCT that had been reportedly infiltrated by terrorists, Major General Edward Buba said that within the FCT and environs, military offensive operations were ongoing at critical locations such as: Cashew Forest, Kwaku, Gwombe, Gadoro and Tukuba all in Kuje Area Council. The other areas are Kawu, Igu, Tokulo, Gaba, Zuma 1 and Zuma 2, Shere, Mpape, Jikoko, Berger Quarry and Nukuchi Villages all in Bwari Area Council of FCT.
In neighboring states of the FCT such as Niger State, troops are conducting operations in Gauraka, Apo Forest, Gyedna/Sabon Wusa and Garam in Tafa LGA. Additionally, troops’ coverage areas include Numan and Basa in Akwanga and Nasarawa LGAs of Nasarawa State respectively.
He said that in the overall week under review, troops neutralized 94 terrorists and arrested 171 of them while also they also arrested 43 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 29 kidnapped hostages. In the South South zone, troops denied the oil theft worth sum of Four Hundred and Eighty Five Million Nine Hundred and Eighty Three Thousand One Hundred and Fifty Naira (N485, 983, 150.00).
Furthermore, troops recovered 168 assorted weapons and 2,757 assorted ammunition such as one GPMG, 85 AK47 rifles, one Vektor R4 rifle, one G3 rifle, 10 pump action guns, 12 locally fabricated guns, 6 locally made pistols, 21 dane gun, one double barrel gun, one fabricated revolver rifle, 2 x 36 hand grenades and one fabricated dane gun.
Others were 290 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 2,132 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 115 rounds of 5.66mm ammo, 29 rounds of PKT ammo, 10 rounds of 9mm ammo, 297 cartridges, 21 magazines, 14 vehicles, 35 motorcycles, 27 mobile phones, 2 baofeng radios and the sum of N2,594,000.00 amongst other items.
Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 16 dugout pits, 51 boats, 49 storage tanks and 3 vehicles. Other items recovered include 38 cooking ovens, 3 pump machines and 31 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 363,875 litres of stolen crude oil, 198,315 litres of illegally refined AGO and 5,200 litres of PMS.
Major General Edward Buba then ended the bi-weekly briefing on his characteristic tone of hope, urging Nigerian citizens to keep faith alive necessary to win the war.
‘’We would like citizens to clearly understand why we are fighting this war. They should understand that the terrorists will not stop, until they are stopped’’, he said.
