The Military has vowed to destroy terrorist this year wherever they maybe hiding in order to ensure an enduring defeat and an end to the Boko Haram/ Islamic State of West Province (ISWAP) insurgency that have dragged on in the past 15 years.
Director of Defence Media Operations (DMO) Major General Edward Buba disclosed this on Thursday, he added that the aim of military ongoing operations remains unchanged and clear even in the new year 2024.
“Our aim is to find and destroy the terrorist wherever they maybe hiding in order to ensure their enduring defeat. This would deny the terrorist the ability to terrorize or hurt citizens across country.”
He said that “pursuant to our goal, troops have in the last one week, focussed on striking the terrorist enclaves from our air attacks. We also exerted significant military power on areas in which the terrorists are hibernating.”
According to him,this week military operations resulted in the neutralization of 86 terrorists and arrest of 101 others. Troops also arrested 30 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 21 kidnapped hostages.
In the South South Zone, troops denied oil theft of the estimated sum of Seven Hundred and Thirty Six Million One Hundred and Fifteen Thousand Four Hundred and Seventy Naira (N736,115,470.00) only.
Furthermore, troops recovered 111 assorted weapons and 1,124 assorted ammunition. The breakdown as follows: 65 AK47 rifles, one HK G3 dun, one G3 rifle, 8 locally fabricated guns, 15 dane guns, 2 fabricated rifle, one locally made pistol, one english pistol, one pump action gun, 2 auto pump action gun and 2 single barrel guns.
Others are: 14 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 993 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 5 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammo, 5 rounds of 7.62mm x 39mm, 99 live cartridges, one round of 9mm ammo, one of short gun cartridge, 2 bandoliers, 2 fabricated swords, 13 magazines, 5 vehicles, 29 motorcycles, 6 bicycles, mobile phones and one GTA radio amongst other items.
In the Niger Delta area, troops discovered and destroyed 37 dugout pits used for illegal local refinery, 65 boats, 71 storage tanks, 14 vehicles.
Other items recovered by the troops within the week include 108 cooking ovens, 4 pump machines, one speedboat and 60 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 1,013,530 litres of stolen crude oil, 299,169 litres of illegally refined AGO and 3,158 litres of DPK.
Major General Buba that their “operations clearly indicate that we are hunting the terrorist commanders and their seniors leadership” adding that “indeed, from their topmost leadership to the lowest commanders are dead men walking and we will stop at nothing until they are dead or surrender.”
He insisted that “the armed forces has demonstrated commitment by our actions to winning this war. Troops will therefore continue to act with tremendous force to achieve the task ahead.”
On the infiltration of terrorists into Federal Capital Territory (FCT), General Buba said on January 5, 2024, troops with hybrid forces in separate operations conducted fighting patrols in Bwari Area Council of FCT and Kagarko LGA of Kaduna State respectively.
“During the operations, troops arrested 2 suspected extremists’ informants and recovered one mobile phone.
“On 6 January 2024, troops in conjunction with hybrid forces conducted fighting patrols to Bwari Area Council of FCT Abuja and Rijau LGA of Niger State respectively and arrested 3 suspected violent extremists sympathizers.” He said that arrested suspects are providing informations to the military that would enable curtail their movements.
Major General Buba also gave insights into the January 6, 2024 incident along Kaduna – Abuja highway where some innocent civilians were killed. He said it was unfortunate that some civilians fell in the cross fire between troops and terrorists groups who were crossing the highway because their former location has become unbearable for them to stay.