Nigeria: How Military killed 814 terrorists, rescued 721 kidnapped hostages – DHQ
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters has confirmed that military offensive operations and air strikes across the country killed 814 terrorists and arrested 1,326 criminals, while 4,560 terrorists and their families surrendered.
Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who disclosed this while updating journalists on Armed forces operations for third quarter of 2023 said the troops arrested 42 kidnappers, 231 collaborators, 33 armed robbers, 80 cattle rustlers, 325 militias, 27 rails vandals, 73 gunrunners, 191 suspected oil thieves and rescued 721 kidnapped hostages.
He said, the counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations of the armed forces across the country in the last 3 months demonstrated the will of the armed forces to defeat terrorist and other violent extremist groups including those who support and finance them.
“During the period under review, offensive operations and air strikes were conducted to hit these groups and the terrorist where it hurts them most,” he said.
According to him, troops recovered a total number of 501 weapons, 3,577 livestock, 3,269 assorted kinds of ammunition and 674 other equipment.
He further warned that terrorists and their cohorts to drop their arms, and rejoin society to provide a better life for themselves and their children, or they risk annihilation if they fail to do so.
A breakdown of these arms and ammunition include; 117 AK47 rifle, one AK49 rifle, 5 revolver, 28 fabricated rifles, 11 fabricated pistols, 57 dane guns, 23 pistols, 24 pump action guns, 3 FN rifles, 3 GPMGs, one double barrel gun, one barreta pistol, one G3 rifle, 2 HK21 rifles one IED, 123 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 2,008 rounds of 7.62mm special, 30 rounds of 7.62mm x 39mm, 512 rounds of 7.62mm x 54mm, 190 rounds of 5.5mm, 39 rounds of 9mm, 29 rounds of PKM, and 19 cartridges.
“Troops equally recovered: one RPG tube, 3 hand grenades, one locally made hand grenade, one locally made bomb, 2 rifle butts, one AK47 barrel, one GMPG barrel, 2 MG links, 98 AK47 magazines, 2 G3 magazines, 2 FN magazines, 2 PKT magazines, 2 LMG magazines, 2 tear gas launchers, one bullet proof vest, 49 vehicles, 213 motorcycles, 48 bicycles, 69 mobile phones, 5 boafeng radios, 4 woodland camouflages, 2 boots, 74 knives, 71 handsets, 11 laptops, 13 steering rods and pumps, 45 machetes and 25 jack knives.
“Furthermore, troops recovered 213 motorcycle, 69 mobile phones, one bicycle, 10 machete and a pair of camouflage. Troops operations in South South geopolitical zone resulted in the arrest of the following; 6,652,250 litres of stolen crude oil, 3,558,325 litres of illegally refined AGO, 288,650 litres of DPK and 65,600 PMS. All amounting to an estimated sum of N4 billion denied to the oil thieves”, he said.
