The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said troops on internal operations across the country neutralised 192 terrorists, arrested 341 persons and rescued 62 kidnapped hostages.
This is just as the military High Command said Nigeria’s security challenges were self-inflicted and almost impossible to defeat without citizens’ support.
The Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja on Thursday.
Buba said 122 ISWAP/JAS combatant terrorists also surrendered with their family members following intense military operations.
He said the troops also arrested 37 suspected oil thieves and recovered stolen products worth N821,248,740.00.
General Buba also disclosed that the troops recovered 211 assorted weapons and 6,288 assorted ammunition from criminal elements.
The Defence Spokesman gave a breakdown of recovered weapons and ammunitions to include 128 AK47 rifles, 26 dane guns as well as 1,301 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 3,260 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 1,325 live cartridges, 140 round of 9mm, among other items.
Meanwhile in the Niger Delta, Buba said troops discovered and destroyed 99 dugout pits, 36 storage tanks and 192 cooking ovens.
The troops also recovered 349,970 litres of stolen crude oil, 112,135 litres of illegally refined AGO, 7,560 litres of DPK and 13,000 litres of PMS.
He disclosed that the military is working decisively to neutralise terrorists, dismantle their networks and create conditions where they cannot carry out acts of terror or harm citizens.
Buba also added added that the armed forces would continue to hunt the leadership of terrorist groups everywhere across these theatres of operations.
He stated that the military has undertaken several airstrikes that have resulted in the death of several of terrorist leaders and their cohorts hibernating in enclaves across the theatres of operation.
“It therefore should not be surprising, that these terrorist and their sympathisers plot on blackmailing the military as a result of these air strikes. The plot is to depict some casualties as innocent citizens rather than cohorts of these terrorists.
He called on the media to be wary of the antics of the terrorist groups and their sympathisers, saying “Our operations have prevented these evil elements from accomplishing their strategic objectives.”
Buba noted that the military recognises there is still challenging and tough war campaign ahead by denying terrorists the ability to continue to fight.
He however, said the war cannot be won without the support of the masses.
“Winning the war without the support of the people is close to impossible. It is for this reason, we encourage the civil populace and civil societies to galvanize support in a whole of society approach to facilitate the total defeat of these terrorists. The time is now for citizens to know that they have a responsibility to the nation,” he said.
Citing the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, illegal mining and kidnapping in the North-West and North-Central which are perpetrated under the guise of terrorism and also the IPOB agitation, General Buba said these insecurity situations were self-inflicted.
“All these buttress how our security situation is self inflicted in the country. These acts are against the constitution and therefore unacceptable for persons or groups to take up arms against a constituted government. Anyone or group that contravenes this provision of the constitution is inviting severe military action and would be dealt with decisively,” he warned.
