The military has reminded armed agitators against the Nigerian state that there are sufficient provisions in the Nigerian Constitution and the military statutes outlawing their existence and activities in the country.
And specifically reacting to a recent invasion of Oyo State Secretariat in Ibadan on April 13 by armed Yoruba Nation agitators who were caught in military uniforms, he said they were lucky that soldiers did not get there as first responders-they would have been killed on the spot.
Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba said that as far as extant laws were concerned, the armed Yoruba Nation in military uniforms were combatants and in such situations of war as the country was going through now, troops would have engaged them on the spot as armed invaders on Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
Director Defence Media Operations at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Major General Edward Buba stated these on Thursday in Abuja during the regular bi-weekly media briefing on military activities and successes recorded in the various theaters of operations across all the six geo-political zones of the country.
He said that acts of terrorism in the North East, illegal mining and kidnapping in the North West and North Central, kidnapping, armed agitations by Indigenous Peoples of Biafra and Yoruba Nation were not only outlawed but remained self-inflicted terrorism on the country.
‘’The agitation of IPOB in the South East have proven to be self aggrandizement. Then the call for a Yoruba Nation which is laughable, all these buttress how our security situation is self-inflicted in the country.
‘’These acts are against the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and therefore unacceptable for persons or groups to take up arms against a constituted government’’, he said.
He maintained that the main goal of ongoing counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations by the military across the country is to defeat the terrorists and dismantle their military administrative and political capabilities.
‘’Through our operations, we are continually boxing in the terrorists and dismantling their supply outlets. The military is working decisively to kill the terrorist, dismantle their networks and crate conditions whereby they cannot carry out acts of terrorism or harm citizens’’, he said.
He also noted that the terrorists and economic saboteurs were feeling the heat of military airstrikes that had continued to hurt the terrorist leadership. Surprisingly, their sympathizers and cohorts are plotting to blackmail the military as a result of these air strikes.
Major General Edward Buba explained that as a professional fighting force, the Nigeria military doing any strike is authorized by intelligence and strictly due intelligence, stressing that reconnaissance and surveillance were usually undertaken to distinguish terrorists.
He also spoke on some of the military’s operational successes maintain that the feats were recorded as a result of the Nigerian military’s determined bid to prove that ongoing crackdown on national security threats across the country was not a fluke but a serious matter.
General Buba noted that above all, the fighting spirit of the men and women in uniform was strong, resilient, focused, proud and committed, as they understand that they had no choice but to continue to fight to defeat the enemy and create a safer environment for citizens.
He disclosed that troops neutralised 192 terrorists and arrested 341 persons while rescuing 62 kidnapped hostages during the period under review adding that 122 ISWAP/JAS combatant terrorists surrendered with their family members.
He said that “troops also arrested 37 perpetrators of oil theft. In the SS, troops denied oil theft of the estimated sum of Eight Hundred and Twenty-One Million Two Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Naira (N821,248,740.00) only.”
Furthermore, troops recovered 211 assorted weapons and 6,288 assorted ammunition with the breakdown as follows: 128 AK47 rifles, 26 Dane guns among other items. Others are 1,301 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 3,260 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 1,325 live cartridges, and 140 rounds of 9mm ammo among other items.
According to him, in the Niger Delta region, troops uncovered and obliterated 99 dugout pits, 36 storage tanks, and 192 cooking ovens, as reported by authorities.
Their efforts resulted in the recovery of 349,970 litres of stolen crude oil, 112,135 litres of illegally refined AGO, 7,560 litres of DPK, and 13,000 litres of PMS.
Major General Edward Buba further disclosed that the courageous 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.
“On one hand, the above is indicative of the fact that troops are recording successes week in and week out in the ongoing counter- insurgency operations across the country.
“On the other hand, the classic principle of counterinsurgency is that you cannot win this kind of war militarily. We have eliminated several terrorists, their leaders and commanders.
“Troops are continually going after the terrorists and dislodging them from their hideouts. In spite of all these, it would appear that there is more to be done to win this war outside the use of military pressure.
“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, is 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 than now to manifest these qualities in us in overcoming the pains of today 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”, he said.
Major General Edward Buba assured Nigerians of the readiness and willingness of the Armed Forces to rise to the occasion at all times.
“The military is wasting no time and sparing no effort to provide security and safety of citizens across the country. Accordingly, we would continue to take necessary measures to ensure a more secure and safer environment for citizens.
“Following the chorus of voices saturating the air waves in the country, there is no gain 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.
