By Halima Sule, Abuja
Doubling down, troops have killed Jigawa terror kingpin, Maji Hijabi and 165 others after felling major notorious terrorists 7 days ago in major strikes resulting in 238 arrests, 188 rescued hostages and N688.12 million worth of impounded stolen crude in the Niger Delta.
Recall that Defence Headquarters had 14 days ago said troops killed Munzir Arika, Sani Dilla (Dan Hausawan Jubillaram), Ameer Modu, Matawal Bitrus, Thomas Benedict, Mohammed Sani, Rimamy (aka Omo), Terkimbi Injoko and Jacob Uzege, Ibn Kasir, among others.
Director Defence Media Operations at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Major General Edward Buba disclosed these on Thursday during his bi-weekly media briefing on activities and operational successes recorded in the various operational theaters within all the six geo-political zones of the country.
He said that the armed forces successfully neutralized of 165 terrorists, arrested 238 others and significantly curbed oil theft in the South-South region thereby nabbing 35 oil robbers and rescued 188 kidnapped hostages.
According to Major General Edward Buba, the military achieved the several feats as well as significant results by using a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic means to conduct the operations in the various operational theatres across the country.
He emphasized that ongoing operations across parts of the country were focused on pursuing, defeating and killing the enemy wherever they were hiding and ultimately set the nation on a roller coaster of safety, stability, peace and tranquility.
He said troops were increasingly making significant strides across all theatres of operations through intensified war efforts, and the mobilization of lethal force and air strikes on terrorists.
”In the South South, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated General sum of Six Hundred and Eighty Eight Million One Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand One Hundred and Fifty Naira (N688,125,150.00) only”, Major General Buba said.
He also disclosed that the armed forces, has strategically deployed troops across the country to combat the terrorist, insurgents and their cohorts.
He noted that the war effort of the military was creatively designed to defeat and destroy the terrorists and to incrementally dismantle and dislodge their terror networks across the country.
Major General Edward Buba further said that the gallant and able troops sufficiently understood the importance and mileage of momentum hence the current heightened crackdown that had taken the fight to the terrorists’ enclave.
He said troops operations have destroyed a substantial part of the combat capacity of the terror groups particularly their leadership which has resulted in the increased decimation of the enemy forces.
“Furthermore, troops recovered 153 assorted weapons and 2,182 assorted ammunition. The breakdown as follows: 81 AK47 rifles, 23 fabricated rifles, 27 dane guns, 13 pump action guns, 5 locally made pistols, 3 revolver pistols, 30 AK47 magazines and one bayonet.
“Others are: 1,561 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 278 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 70 rounds of 50mm ammo, 72 rounds of 9mm ammo, 87 live cartridges, one baofeng radio, 19 vehicles, 21 motorcycles, 45 mobile phones and the sum of N64,100.00 only amongst other items.
“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 2 dugout pits, 58 boats and 39 storage tanks. Other items recovered include 13 cooking ovens, 35 drums, one motorcycle, one tricycle, 4 speed boat, 13 vehicles and 65 illegal refining sites.
” Troops recovered 789,200 litres of stolen crude oil and 64,950 litres of illegally refined AGO”.
Contending that the armed forces were clearly winning the war on terror, Major General Edward Buba gave assurance that troops’ understanding of their role in the ongoing war was absolutely clear hence the need for the Nigerian populace to support the military even though, according to him, the military was aware of some security challenges faced by citizens in certain places.
He promised that the situation would improve while ongoing operations in affected areas were reassessed to better secure and protect citizens.
But he cautioned persons or groups against making threats or inflammatory comments on perceived untoward troops’ activities or deployments as a result of ongoing operations, pointing out that the outcome of such acts were better imagined than experienced.
He said troops recognized the urgency to ensure peace and security for all citizens across the country and were working on new strategies to better protect the nation and citizens.
