- On trail of Abubakar a suspended terrorists financier,says DHQ
The Defence Headquarters said on Thursday that troops operations and activities of other security agencies recorded significant results in the past two weeks in reducing insecurity in the country.
It said that of significant was the neutralization of two key commanders of Boko Haram Terrorists/Islamic State of West Africa Province: Abu Asiya and Abu Ubaida (A Qaid) .
The two BKT/ISWAP commanders were killed at Parisu and Sheruri general area in Sambisa forest on September 12th and 15th, 2022 respectively, according to the military.
The troops also made an in road into checking terrorists financing and arrested two suspected terrorists collaborators at Access Bank, PZ Branch in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State while they were trying to withdraw the sum of Fourteen Million Naira (14,000,000.00) deposited into the account of one Alhaji Abubakar a suspected terrorist financier.
Major General Musa Danmadami, the Director , Defence Media Operations, who disclosed these during the bi -weekly press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, said security agencies are on the trail of Abubakar the suspected terrorists financier and he would be apprehended .
He said that troops have sustained aggressive operations at various theatres and denied terrorists further freedom of action.
Specifically, Major General Danmadami said that, in furtherance to this, “troops of Operation HADIN KAI conducted fighting patrols, ambushes and clearance operations at communities, villages and towns in Kukawa, Monguno, Kaga, Dikwa, Biu, Damboa, Gwoza, Mafa, Konguda, Bama and Guzamala Local Government Areas all in Borno State.”
Within the period in review, September 8 to 22, 2022 “troops neutralized 36 terrorists, rescued 130 civilians and arrested 46 suspected Boko Haram Terrorists as well as 12 suspected Boko Haram Terrorists/Islamic State of West Africa Province logistic suppliers.
“Furthermore, 21 AK47 rifles, 163 rounds of 7.62mm special, 2 RPG bombs, 25 dane guns, 4 unexplosive ordinance store, 2 bandoliers, 10 solar panels, 23 bicycles, 10 motorcycles, 1 tricycle, 19 cell phones, 28 torch lights, bags of assorted grains, 122 rustled sheep, and the sum of N203,125.00 were recovered among other items.
“Equally, a total of 368 suspected Boko Haram Terrorists/Islamic State of West Africa Province criminals and their families comprises of 53 adult males, 116 adult females and 214 children surrendered to own troops at different locations in the theatre.”
All recovered items, rescued civilians and apprehended suspected terrorists were handed over to the relevant authority for further action while surrendered Boko Haram Terrorists and their families are being profiled for further action.
Defence Media Operations spokesman confirmed that there were air interdiction operation at Somalia in Sambisa Forest and bombardment of a terrorist critical facility.
According to him, feedback revealed that the air strike inflicted deadly casualty on the terrorists and destroyed their structures.
Similar air interdiction operations were carried out on terrorists enclaves at Abdallari, Mafa, Zanari and Tumbun Baba Borno State between 10 and 14 September 2022, and on an identified terrorists hideout at Gaude in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State on September 8,2022.
He said two suspected gun runners enroute Onitsha to Abuja were arrested by personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency along Okene-Lokoja road in Kogi State with 12 pump action guns and 374 cartridges.
Danmadami said that within the weeks in focus, troops of Operation DELTA SAFE engaged on operation OCTOPUS GRIP discovered and destroyed several illegal refining sites, 17 wooden boats, 103 storage tanks, 94 ovens and 58 dugout pits.”
“Troops also recovered 10 trucks, 1 generator, 1 tanker, 2 vehicles, 8 pumping machines, arrested 17 pipelines vandals while a total of Seven Thousand Eight Hundred and Five (7,805) Barrels of crude oil and Two Thousand Six Hundred and Thirteen (2,613) Barrels of Automotive Gas Oil were recovered.
“In addition, a total of N134,670,255.72 of Automotive Gas Oil and N402,419,846.04 worth of crude oil were denied the oil thieves.
Accordingly, a total sum of N537,090,102.12.being the approximated value of oil product were denied oil thieves within the period, he added.