The Nigerian military has made significant strides in its fight against terrorism and criminal activities, eliminating 135 terrorists, apprehending 185 suspects, and rescuing 129 hostages in operations across the country within the past week.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, provided these updates in a briefing on Saturday at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja. Buba highlighted that the military’s sustained offensives have prompted a wave of surrenders among terrorists in the North Central region.
Terrorist Surrenders and Weapons Recovery
“These surrenders are a result of mounting pressure from our troops’ operations,” Buba explained. “Our collaborative non-kinetic approach with various stakeholders has encouraged more terrorists to lay down their arms.”
Prominent terrorist leaders who have reportedly surrendered include Yellow Jambros, Alhaji Mallam, Ardo Idi (Alhaji Lawal), Lawal Kwalba, Salkado, Yellow Ibrahim, Gana’e, and Babangida. Buba assured that military operations would continue to either neutralize remaining terrorists or push them to surrender.
The operations also led to the recovery of a large cache of weapons and ammunition. Buba confirmed the seizure of 113 assorted weapons, including 72 AK47 rifles, 11 fabricated rifles, 15 dane guns, and an RPG bomb, among other military equipment. In total, 2,415 rounds of ammunition were recovered, alongside 38 magazines, 46 motorcycles, 15 vehicles, and 28 mobile phones.
Disruption of Illegal Oil Activities in the Niger Delta
Further efforts in the Niger Delta led to the discovery and destruction of illegal oil refining operations. Troops dismantled 93 crude oil cooking ovens, 37 boats, and 127 drums used in illegal refining. In total, the military recovered 909,800 litres of stolen crude oil, 71,060 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 13,580 litres of PMS.
Highlighting the ongoing progress, Buba reassured the public that the military is committed to finding innovative solutions to the security challenges facing Nigeria.
“Despite these successes, we will not relent in our efforts,” he said. “We are in a winning position and will continue to secure Nigeria from all threats.”
