Nigeria’s Military high command has told Nigerians to ignore any fears arising from threats in some quarters over the coming May 29 political transition handover of power, saying such threats are empty and hollow and that the event will surely hold like others on the electoral calendar.
The Defence Headquarters expressed total commitment to a peaceful transition to a new government on May 29, and assured that the military and intelligence community were ready to counter any threat to national security.
Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major Genneral Musa Danmadami stated this on Thursday in Abuja at the regular bi-weekly news conference on the operations of the armed forces across the six geo-political zones of the country.
Major General Danmadami appealed to law abiding Nigerians to ignore any threats or apprehension being raised by the enemies of the nation imagining and predicting security threats, saying that the defence forces were ready to tackle them as usual.
“Like the general elections have come and gone, winners have been announced, people are just being apprehensive to be insinuating situations that are not there. People have been predicting that this country will finish but nothing has happened.
“Members of the Armed Forces like I always tell you will continue to give their best, and we are not resting on our oars to ensure that peace and security are sustained.
“I equally assure you that the intelligence community too works round the clock just like the armed forces to ensure that there is peace and stability; I can assure you that there are a lot of follow-up operations going on every day.
“People who are on the verge of committing a crime are being arrested; people who are moving ammunitions from one point to the other to go and commit havoc are being arrested every day as reflected in our brief today (Thursday).
“So people should not be afraid that when they hand over there is going to be calamity all over the place. I can assure you that we are ready to address whatever calamity that wants to come up.
“We are ready for that, so people should just go about their normal duties and forget about these apprehension people are creating unnecessarily. There is no cause for alarm and everything is under control,” he said.
Major General Musa Danmadami also told the defence reporters that in the last two weeks, troops of the armed forces had rescued 468 kidnap victims and eliminated 54 terrorists in various operations across the Northeast, North-Central and Northwest.
According to him, the troops also apprehended no fewer than 122 terrorists, bandits, their collaborators and other criminals across the zones within the period under review, pointing out that 30 of the rescued victims who were injured were hospitalized while the remaining were reunited with their families.
He further said that in the North East, troops of Operation Hadin Kai conducted operational activities with amazing success at identified Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) camps and enclaves at high grounds, villages and forests within the zone.
He said the troops neutralised 24 terrorists, arrested 40 logistics suppliers including one female, four terrorists informant, and rescued 206 civilians.
According to him, 501 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists and their families comprising 60 male adults, 176 female adults and 266 children surrendered to troops at different locations within the theatre of operation.
“Troops also recovered 14 AK47 rifles, two AK49 rifles, one AK56 rifle, one GPMG, one RPG tube, one PK MG and two RPG bombs. Also recovered were 732 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 77 rounds of 7.62mm special, 19 rounds of 7.62mm by 29mm special and 16 rounds of 7.62mm ball metal links ammo.
“Also, 1,000 rounds of 7.62mm NATO (belted), 243 round of 7.62mm x 54mm special ammo, 89 rounds of 5.56mm by 45mm special, 16 AK47 magazines, seven dane guns and the sum of N103,505 only, as well as other sundry items, were recovered.
“All recovered items, arrested Boko Haram/lSWAP terrorists and terrorists’ logistics suppliers, were handed over to the relevant authority for further action.
“While the surrendered Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province terrorists and members of their families were profiled for further action, the rescued civilians were given medical attention before being handed over to relevant authority for further action,” he said.
The defence spokesman said that in the North Central, troops of Operations Safe Haven and Whirl Stoke apprehended 44 suspected criminals and rescued 252 civilians during the period while also recovering cache of arms, 18 mobile phones, 38 railway sleepers amongst other sundry items.
In North West, the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji neutralised 30 terrorists, arrested 33 others and rescued 10 kidnapped civilians including recovering 13 AK47 rifles, 16 AK47 magazines, 1,531 rounds of 7.62mm special, 886 rounds of 7.62mm NATO (belted) ammo, 139 rounds of 7.62mm special (tracer) ammo, and 30 rounds of empty cases of 7.62mm special.
“Other items recovered include 87 Detonators, 33 rolls of detonator cables, 11 safety fuses, 43 main explosive chargers, 25 motorcycles, 21 mobile phones, boafeng radios, 887 rustled cattle, seven trucks and the sum of N230, 900.
“All recovered items, apprehended suspects and rescued civilians have been handed over to the appropriate authority for further action,” he said.
