The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) in Abuja reports that troops neutralized 185 terrorists and arrested 212 persons across the country’s troubled zones in the past week.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen. Edward Buba, acknowledged in a statement on Friday that the armed forces are aware of the recent surge in kidnappings for ransom. He noted that the debate over whether advertised crowdfunding contributes to these kidnappings is ongoing.
Buba expressed concern that the rise in kidnappings has overshadowed the successes achieved by the troops in combating terrorists, insurgents, and their cohorts to create a safer environment for citizens.
He said: “The military recognizes the urgency for an immediate turn around of the situation and is therefore actively working for peace and security across the country. It is worthy of mention to state that, achieving enduring peace in the country , requires that there is a change in the conditions that make the terrorist, insurgents and their cohorts willing to fight and carry dastardly acts on fellow citizens.
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“The situation therefore calls for all hands on deck with everyone playing their role towards achieving enduring peace. The armed forces on its part, has boots on the ground strategically deployed across the country to combat the terrorist, insurgents and their cohorts.”
During the week under review, in addition to neutralizing 185 terrorists and arresting 212, troops also apprehended 44 oil thieves and rescued 71 kidnapped hostages. They also prevented oil theft amounting to an estimated N1,065,885,050.
Furthermore, troops recovered 224 assorted weapons and 2,337 assorted ammunition, including 113 AK47 rifles, one G3 rifle, one PKT gun, 44 locally fabricated guns, and 7 primed IEDs, among others. They also recovered 1,382 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 387 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 74 rounds of 9mm ammo, and 23 K2 rounds ammo, among other items.
Other recovered items include 78 cooking ovens, 4 pump machines, and 51 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 815,980 litres of stolen crude oil, 163,675 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 1,750 litres of DPK.
Buba concluded by saying that the military understands the true extent of the threat and is committed to winning the war against insurgency.
“Countering insurgency is not a sprint but rather a marathon,” he said. “Much has been done and much more is still being done to achieve peace and security across the country.”
