DHQ: We’ll Dismantle Safe Havens for Terrorists, Bandits Nationwide
Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
The military high command, yesterday, vowed to destroy identified terror safe havens across the country.
It said the safe havens had supported and propelled insurgency for 14 years, listing such to include ungoverned spaces, notably, forests, jungles, national parks, and games reserves among others.
Defence Headquarters also disclosed that troops killed 50 terrorists while 114 of them were arrested even as troops discovered and destroyed 53 illegal refining sites, recovered 983,350 litres of stolen crude oil, 144,980 litres of illegally refined diesel and 71,650 litres of DPK.
At a media briefing in Abuja, Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, said the safe havens provided the flow of funding, material, weapons, fighters, command and control that supported terrorism and insurgency confronting the nation.
“The armed forces are constantly restrategising and modifying its operations to overcome the changes in tactics of the extremists operating across the country.
“Accordingly, the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations are designed to ensure that uncertainty is replaced with certainty.
“Among the central issues on the ground, in terms of setting security conditions and overcoming instability are the safe havens of some of these violent extremist groups that have existed for many years.
“These safe havens in effect provided a support base for insurgent activities. For instance, these safe havens provide the flow of funding, material, weapons, fighters, command and control that supports terrorism and insurgency confronting us.
“There are safe havens spread across various theatres ranging from the Tumbuns in the North-east to other locations such as national parks, game reserves and forests across the country.
“The military has identified several of these safe havens and operations are targeted towards ensuring that they are completely dismantled,” he said.
Buba disclosed that some of the safe havens extended across other countries,which rendered it a regional issue.
“It is clear that some of the the safe havens from which these insurgents and terrorists operate from often extend across the borders with other countries, thereby making it a regional issue. Nevertheless, the objective of ongoing operations is to ensure these safe havens are completely destroyed within the shores of the country,” he said.
He stated that one of the safe havens in Aku Forest in Okigwe LGA of Imo State in the South-east was invaded and “troops found unspeakable and unprintable activities going on in the camp. These extremist are cannibals feasting on fellow humans and slaughtering them for other devilish acts.”
Meanwhile, he said military operations in the last one week led to the decimation of 50 terrorists while 114 of them were arrested. Troops also arrested 19 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 49 kidnapped hostages.
In the South South Zone, troops denied oil theft of the estimated N968,160,050.00.
Furthermore, troops recovered 65 assorted weapons and 400 assorted ammunition. They included 25 AK47 rifles, four locally fabricated rifles, four pistols, six pump action guns, 12 dane guns, 3 AK47 rifles loaded with 50 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo among others.
He said troops in the Niger Delta fighting economic sabotage discovered and destroyed 54 dugout pits, 66 boats, 138 storage tanks, 253 cooking ovens, two pumping machines, eight speedboats, 17 hoses, 18 drums, two cylinders and 53 illegal refining sites.
The troops also recovered 983,350 litres of stolen crude oil, 144,980 litres of illegally refined AGO and 71,650 litres of DPK.
He said the military would continue to fine tune its operations to ensure maximum protect of citizens and restore security across the country.
“We are getting it right and continue to encourage citizens that know something to say something so that we can do something about it. Together, we win the fight,” he assured.
