According to a report from the Defence Headquarters, military troops have successfully neutralized 82 terrorists, arrested 198 others, and rescued 93 kidnapped victims in the past week. This was revealed by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday.
Kangye noted that during the operations, troops also recovered a significant cache of weapons and ammunition. Among the seized items were 152 assorted arms, five magazines, and 2,040 rounds of ammunition. He detailed the haul, which included 46 AK-47 rifles, 18 locally made guns, 19 dane guns, three pump-action shotguns, and a large quantity of various calibers of ammunition, including 1,165 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo and 128 rounds of 7.62mm NATO rounds.
Additionally, the troops confiscated 600 rounds of 7.62 x 12.7mm ammunition, 51 cartridges, and three other assorted firearms along with 96 rounds of different types of ammunition.
In the South-South region, security forces took action against oil theft, apprehending 22 suspects involved in illegal operations. The estimated value of the intercepted stolen crude oil and refined products is put at around ₦587 million. Kangye gave a breakdown of the recovered items, including 366,530 liters of stolen crude oil, 117,320 liters of illegally refined diesel (AGO), and 600 liters of kerosene (DPK).
He added that troops also dismantled and destroyed 38 crude oil cooking ovens, 27 dugout pits, 22 boats, two speedboats, 60 storage tanks, 34 drums, and 32 illegal refining sites used for unlawful refining operations. Other confiscated equipment included three pumping machines, a tricycle, three motorcycles, five mobile phones, and two vehicles.
Meanwhile, in the North East, 41 terrorists voluntarily surrendered to military forces. Kangye disclosed that the group comprised 10 adult males, 12 adult females, and 19 children. The surrendering terrorists handed over weapons, including a PKT machine gun, an AK-47 rifle with two magazines, an AK-101 rifle with two magazines, and a stockpile of ammunition.
Kangye assured that the armed forces remain committed to safeguarding lives and property across the country. He reaffirmed the military’s dedication to carrying out its constitutional duties, saying, “Gallant men and women of the armed forces will continue to carry out constitutional responsibilities of protecting lives and properties of all Nigerians in line with our constitutional roles.”
