The Nigerian military has eradicated 86 extremists and apprehended 101 terrorists involved in criminal activities across the country.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, stated this during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
He highlighted the various achievements of the armed forces such as recovery of 60 illegal refineries dismantled in the Niger Delta region— apprehension of 30 suspected oil thieves.
Mr Buba emphasised that the military’s focus included air attacks on terrorists’ enclaves and exerting superior power in areas where terrorists were hiding.
“As a result, 86 terrorists were neutralized, 101 arrested, and 21 kidnapped individuals were successfully rescued,” he added.
The operations yielded a significant cache of weapons and ammunition, including 65 AK-47 rifles, one HK G3 gun, eight locally-fabricated guns, and various other firearms.
He added that the troops recovered vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and a variety of ammunition.
In the North-East, Operation Hadin Kai neutralised 20 terrorists, apprehended four, and rescued 40 kidnapped persons. Air interdiction in the Sambisa general area on January 5 targeted terrorists’ logistics bases, resulting in the destruction of their infrastructure.
In the North-West, Operations Hadarin Daji and Whirl Punch saw the neutralization of 69 terrorists, the arrest of 25, and the rescue of 63 hostages.
Air interdictions in Zamfara and Katsina States targeted notorious terrorist leaders, Ado Aliero and Hamisu Mopol, resulting in the destruction of their enclaves and the neutralization of several terrorists.
Moving to the North Central, troops of Operation Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke arrested 21 violent extremists and rescued 27 kidnapped persons. Meanwhile, Operation Delta Safe uncovered and destroyed 60 illegal refining sites, leading to the apprehension of 30 suspected oil thieves in the Niger Delta.
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The military’s success extended to uncovering and destroying 37 dugout pits, 65 boats, 71 storage tanks, 14 vehicles, 108 cooking ovens, and one speedboat. Troops recovered over 1 million liters of stolen crude oil and large quantities of illegally refined AGO and DPK.
In separate operations in Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and other areas, troops raided extremist militant hideouts, neutralizing two violent extremists, apprehending 30 suspected oil thieves, and recovering various weapons and ammunition.
The Defence Headquarters commended the troops for their dedication and vowed to sustain efforts to ensure the safety and security of the nation.
