The Nigerian military has assured the nation that terrorists leaders issuing threats to Nigerian communities would be buried in 2025.
The Defence Headquarters also described bandit kingpin Bello Turji as a “dead man walking.”
LEADERSHIP recalls that Turji in a recent viral video, challenged the military to a fight, alleging that his fighters were targeting elderly people.
Turji also demanded the release of a terrorist kingpin arrested by the Nigerian troops, Baka Wurgi, threatening to unleash mayhem on residents of Zamfara communities in 2025 if the military continued to detain Wurgi.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, reacting to the video at the end-of-year briefing on Tuesday said he would not engage in a war of words with the terrorist kingpin but vowed that Turji would be eliminated, just like other commanders before him.
“Indeed, Bello Turji is merely a dead man walking. It will be insulting to try to join issues and words with a terrorist. Before him, there were other terrorists who boasted that they would deal with security forces. Today they are all taken out. We will do the same with other terrorist leaders like him.
“All these terrorist leaders that we are seeing today, before them, there were some that thought that they were champions upon champions. Where are they? They are buried.
“They are dead. And I assure you that those of them that are leaders today, commanders or whatever they call themselves, just watch out. I will from this platform tell you we have buried them (terrorist leaders) on the battlefield, because that is their fate in 2025. They are dead men walking,” General Buba said.
He also reacted to a report where Amnesty International requested the military to submit details of the Sokoto accidental bombing to the Attorney General of the Federation for investigation, Buba said the military would comply only after the organisation honours its invitation.
“We extended an invitation to them for us to look at some allegations that they leveled against the military, which we found to be very shocking and misleading and unfortunate. We are waiting for them. And now that they’ve come up with another request, we will take advantage of when they honour that invitation to show them what they have requested to see. So the ball is in their court. We await Amnesty International,” he said.
Speaking further on the Sokoto incident, Buba urged the citizens not to be swayed by terrorist propaganda on the incident.
He said, “Don’t give in to terrorist propaganda. If things have happened with that bombing that took place in the northwest on Christmas day and you are hearing different words going out, you think that the terrorists will be happy that we bombed them? They will of course put up propaganda. Don’t feed into their propaganda, please.”
Reeling out the success of the military in 2024, Buba said over 1,000 terrorist commanders and combatants were killed.
Buba said, “During the course of the year, troops eliminated over a thousand notable terrorist leaders, commanders and combatants, among others.
“Some of those eliminated in the course of the year include Dutse Mainasara Idda, Mallam Saleh Umaru, Mohammed Amadu, Chinemerem (aka Bam Bam), Jeremiah Uzuoma (aka Escoba), Tochukwu Awo (aka Ojoto) and Egwuatu amongst others.”
In total, Buba said 10,937 terrorists were killed in various operations, 12,538 arrested, 8,815 weapons, 228,004 ammunition were recovered and 7,063 kidnapped victims were rescued.
He said, “During the year, troops significantly degraded the military capabilities as well as the fighting capabilities of terrorists by neutralising 10,937 terrorists, arresting 12,538 and rescuing 7,063 hostages. Furthermore, troops recovered 8,815 weapons, 228,004 ammunition.”
According to Buba, 16,171 repentant terrorists and families also surrendered to troops within the year.
The breakdown of the recoveries within the period according to Buba include 4,332 AK47 rifles, 1,244 locally fabricated guns, 838 dane guns, 259 pump action guns, 128,496 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 45,445 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 5,103 cartridges, 2,131 assorted arms and 29,176 assorted ammunitions.
He also said stolen crude oil worth N68billion was recovered in 2024.
Buba said, “Troops denied the oil theft of an estimated sum of N68,453,376,040.00 only. Troops recovered 56,223,002 litres of stolen crude oil, 9,735,836 litres of illegally refined AGO, 95,595 litres of DPK and 156,527 litres of PMS amongst other item.”
Forecasting into 2025, Buba said the developments witnessed in 2024 were signs of defeat for terrorists in the New Year.
According to him, victory for the troops in the various theaters of operation is non-negotiable. “What I want to say is this. Many of the things that we have witnessed in this outgoing year 2024, it is a sign of the major defeat of the terrorists in 2025. You see I’m smiling.
“And what are some of those things? I just told you we killed over 10,000 terrorists on the battlefield this year. We arrested over 12,000 of them. I’ve reeled out the quantum of weapons that we recovered and destroyed as well as ammunition from these terrorists.
“Let me tell you, let me add that before now, the surrendering that we had in this country was only in the northeast. We are now recording surrendering in the North-West, the North-Central. This is indicative of the motivation of the terrorists. Watch out in 2025 as victory is non-negotiable.”
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