Notwithstanding the palpable fears of insecurity, the Defence Headquarters said on Thursday that the operational efforts of the military and other security agencies have considerably reduced the spate of criminal activities across the theatres.
The Defence Headquarters stated this just as it assured the public that “the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies will not relent nor rest on its oars in the fight against criminalities in all parts of the Country.”
Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Benard Onyeuko said this during a media briefing on the military operations in the past two weeks. He, appreciates the public and the entire press community for their continuous support in minimizing the spate of insecurity.
The Military High Command also commends the continued sacrifices of its troops and salutes their courage and resilience towards achieving sustainable peace in the Country.
DHQ said it encourage all to avail security forces with credible and timely information that will facilitate proactive engagements across all theatres of operation in the country, he said.
Brigadier General Onyeuko said that in the past two weeks “a total of 22 arms, including AK-47 rifles, MGs, and locally-made pistols and 461 rounds of ammunition were recovered in North Central Zone by the troops of OPERATION WHIRL STROKE.
While 15 criminals including armed bandits, herders and drug peddlers were arrested and 4 kidnapped civilians rescued .
The criminals were arrested during operations at Ahungwa village in Katsina-Ala LGA, Adiga forest in Okpoga; Bandawa and Giru communities in Lau LGA of Taraba State, Odu and Rukubi villages in Doma LGA of Nasarawa State.
Troops also held peace and security meetings with community/youth leaders as well as other critical stakeholders and security agencies at the Local Government Secretariat at Igumale Town in Benue State and Lau Police Division in Lau LGA of Taraba State.
In same stripe, troops of Operation DELTA SAFE within the period sustained its operations forestalling the activities of economic saboteurs and other criminal elements in the South-South Zone, he said.
According to him, troops continued to track illegal oil bunkers in the Zone by conducting land, maritime and air patrols as well as raid operations on criminal enclaves.
They discovered and deactivated illegal oil refining/bunkering sites; impounded vessels as well as other equipment and items used for illegal bunkering activities and in some occasions arrested criminal elements.
According to him, “significant results were recorded at different villages in Nembe and Ekeremor LGAs of Bayelsa State as well as Oron River and Calabar Metropolis in Cross River State.
“Also some incidents were recorded around some beaches in Akwa-Ibom State; some villages in Ohaji/Ogbema LGA of Imo State and Ukwa West LGA of Abia State.
“Similarly, attendant successes were recorded in some communities and areas in Degema LGA, Port Harcourt City and environs; Akuku-Toru LGA and Bonny LGA of Rivers State.
“In Delta State, substantial results were recorded in Warri South, Warri South West and Ethiop North LGAs,” he added, such that “a total of 51 illegal refining sites were discovered and deactivated by troops in the course of operations.”
“The sites cumulatively had a total of 76 ovens, 52 cooking pots/boilers, 22 cooling systems, 102 reservoirs, 16 large dugout pits and 513 storage tanks as well as drums and sacks laden with illegally refined oil products.”
Additionally, “23 criminal elements were arrested and 73 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 5 cartridges, 2 AK-47 rifles, one double-barrel gun, one pump action gun and 3 locally-made pistols among other items were recovered in the course of the operations in the Zone.”
Following the operations , a total of 317,450 litres of illegally refined AGO, 8,000 litres of DPK and 159,000 litres of stolen crude were recovered.
These were in addition to several other vehicles and boats loaded with sacks/polythene bags and jerry cans of illegally refined oil products and equipment used for illegal oil production as well as illicit drugs; impounded by troops, he said.