Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), yesterday, said troops of Operation Hadin Kai and Hadarin Daji, have decimated some 100 insurgents and armed bandits during their clean-up operations in the North East and North West in the past two weeks.
It also said between December 9 and 23, no fewer than 1,081 Boko Haram fighters, including their family members, surrendered to the state.
The military high command also disclosed that, in the course of operations in the Niger Delta region, 14 illegal refineries were discovered and deactivated by naval troops.
The Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Maj Gen Benard Onyeuko, who made the disclosures at a media briefing in Abuja, said the development followed sustained onslaught on the enemies of state across all theatres.
“Troops’ operational efforts in the locations in the last two weeks, cumulatively resulted in the neutralisation of a total 51 and arrest of 19 terrorists. Also, a total of 122 assorted arms and 1,499 rounds of different calibres of ammunition were recovered, while a total of eight gun trucks of the terrorists were destroyed,” he said.
He, however, said the kinetic and non-kinetic operations had continued to drive the terrorists out of their camps, forcing them to surrender.
“Within this period in focus, a total of 1,081 terrorists and their families comprising 187 adult males, 326 adult females and 568 children surrounded to own troops at different locations of the theatre. The surrendered terrorists were properly profiled and handed over to appropriate authorities for necessary actions,” DHQ claimed.
While regretting that some troops paid the supreme price in the course of the operations, he stated that the doggedness of fighting forces had continued to reflect in the thousands of terrorists turning themselves in.
Onyeuko said within the last two weeks, troops of Operation Hadarin Daji sustained offensive operations against armed bandits and other criminal elements at different locations across the theatre.
“With the support of the air component, troops launched deliberate attacks on identified bandits’ hideouts; successfully repelled armed bandits and robbers’ attacks on civilians in different villages, rescued victims and recovered assorted arms, ammunitions and other items at different locations.
“The locations in which troops’ operational efforts yielded significant results include Kaikazaka village in Sokoto State as well as Garbadu town and Saturi, Katanga, Badarawa and Tunga Na Yarchiga villages in Zamfara State. Cumulatively, a total of 33 armed bandits were neutralised, while 19 of them and their collaborators as well as armed herdsman were arrested,” he said.
According to him, 37 assorted arms, including AK-47 rifles, PKT machine guns and GPMGs as well as 698 rounds of different calibres of ammunitions, 22 motorcycles among other items and vehicles were recovered while 28 kidnapped civilians were rescued in the course of the operations even as 59 extra magazines of assorted arms and 21 motorcycles were recovered from bandits.
He affirmed that troops of Operation Safe Haven conducted various operations at different locations across the country and successfully repelled armed bandits’ attacks and arrested child traffickers, cattle rustlers, kidnappers as well as armed bandits and robbers.
“Troops also recovered several arms, ammunition and livestock during raid operations on criminal elements’ hideouts as well as repelled kidnappers and gunmen attacks at different locations across the theatre within the period.
“Cumulatively, a total of 15 criminal elements were arrested, 12 kidnapped civilians were rescued, while 118 livestock, 18 assorted arms and 112 different calibers of ammunition among other items were recovered in the course of the operations. Some of the operations were executed at Maraban Foron village in Barkin Ladi LGA; Ganawuri and Chiri Danto villages in Riyom LGA as well as Utan village in Jos North LGA, all in Plateau State.”
On the operations in the Niger Delta region, the DDMO said in the last two weeks, troops discovered and immobilised a total of 14 illegal refining sites, 19 ovens, 13 cooking pots/boilers, 15 cooling systems, 15 reservoirs, five large dugout pits and 33 storage tanks.
“A total of 896,500 litres and 70 polythene bags of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO,) were recovered in the process. Also, a total of 11,000 litres of illegally refined Dual Purpose Kerosene and 689,000 litres of stolen crude oil were recovered in the course of the operations.
“In addition, 28 pieces of galvanised pipes, 3 tanker trucks and 12 wooden boats used for illegal oil bunkering activities were recovered and handled appropriately in the course of the operations. All the arrested criminals and recovered items have been handed over to relevant security agencies for further action,” he said.
