In Fierce Encounter, Troops Decimate 40 Terrorists, Bandits in North-east, North-west

*Rescue two more Chibok girls, 510 insurgents, families

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), yesterday, said troops killed 40 terrorists and armed bandits in the last two weeks and apprehended 48 terror suspects in various operations across the North-east and North-west.

It said troops of Joint Task Force, North East Operation Hadin Kai intercepted 946 arms and ammunition even as 131 abducted victims, including two more Chibok school girls were rescued during operations in the North-east.

At a media briefing in Abuja, the Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Maj Gen Musa Danmadami, said the land and air components of Operation Hadarin Daji also sustained offensive operations on terrorists enclaves, camps and hideouts within Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto and Zamfara States.

He said the troops neutralised 25 terrorists, arrested 30 informants, six terrorists logistics suppliers, two gunrunners and rescued four kidnap victims, adding also that the troops had between April 21 and April 25 engaged in a fire-fight with terrorists, neutralising 14 insurgents, including a notorious terror kingpin.

He stated that a large cache of arms was recovered while two suspected bandits and drug peddlers were apprehended at Wazata village in Birni Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, and that preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were notorious suppliers of ammunition and hard drugs to terrorists.

“Troops recovered 15 rounds of 7.62mm special, eight mobile phones, 105 wraps of substances suspected to be cannabis, 1,032 tablets of tramadol and the sum of N82,800.

“Similarly, on April 23, troops intercepted three terrorist logistics suppliers with one vehicle, and one canter truck loaded with 87 bags of rice at Gusami and Mada villages in Birin Magaji and Gusau Local Government Areas of Zamfara. Preliminary investigation revealed that the bags of rice belong to a terrorist kingpin on the watch list of security agents,” he said.

Danmadami also disclosed that 131 kidnapped civilians including two Chibok school girls, who were on numbers 2 and 103 of the list of the missing Chibok girls were rescued.

He further stated that a total of 510 fighters of  Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and members of their families, comprising 54 adult male, 164 adult female and 292 children surrendered to troops at different locations within the theatre of operations.
Danmadami, who said all recovered items, apprehended suspects were handed over to the relevant authorities for further action, affirmed that the rescued terrorists, escapees and members of the their families were profiled and given medical attention while the surrendered terrorists and members of their families were undergoing profiling for further actio