Military neutralizes 140 terrorists, prevents N1.75b oil theft in one week
By Abiodun Folarin, Abuja
The Defence Headquarters has confirmed it troops operating across various theaters in the country neutralized 140 terrorists, rescued 76 kidnapped hostages and thwarted an attempt at oil theft, preventing losses estimated at over ₦1.75 billion .
Speaking on Thursday during the biweekly media briefing at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, emphasized that the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations had dealt significant blows to terrorist capabilities.
Buba explained that troops had continued to deny terrorists the ability to achieve their strategic objectives.
“As the operations progress, the Armed Forces are developing innovative solutions to the challenges encountered and maintaining operational flexibility,” he said.
He said, “during the week under review, troops neutralised 140 and arrested 135 persons. Troops also arrested 18 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 76 kidnapped hostages.
According to him, during the week under review, in the South-south troops also thwarted an attempt at oil theft, preventing losses estimated at over ₦1.75 billion (N1,751,886,550.00).
“Furthermore, troops recovered 241 assorted weapons and 3,254 assorted ammunition. The breakdown as follows: 141 AK47 rifles, one PKT gun, 2 FN rifles, 17 fabricated rifles, 26 dane guns, 13 pump action guns, 4 locally made pistols, one barreta pistol, 2 bayonets and 42 AK47 magazines.
“Others are: 2,016 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 970 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 33 rounds 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 76 rounds of 9mm ammo, 113 live cartridges, 2 baofeng radios, 3 vehicles, 31 motorcycles, 18 mobile phones and the sum of N79,052,150.00 and 19$ only amongst other items.”
He said , the troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 33 crude oil cooking ovens, 19 dugout pits, 41 boats, 70 drums, 22 storage tanks and 47 illegal refining sites.
Other items recovered include 13 speedboats, one tricycle, 4 motorcycles, 3 vehicles among others. Troops recovered 1,122,710 litres of stolen crude oil and 557,210 litres of illegally refined AGO.
Buba reaffirmed the military’s determination to defeat terrorists on the battlefield and in their hideouts, ensuring a secure and prosperous future for Nigeria. He called on citizens to support the military’s efforts by denying terrorism any space to thrive in the country.
