The Military says on Friday that current alarming rate of insecurity in the country has posed significant threat to the citizens and assured the public that concerted efforts were being made by the Troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) and other security agencies to ensure peace and security nationwide.
Director Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Major General Edward Buba,stated this in a statement and update report of the ongoing military operations by the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to check the.security situation.
He explained that “the military understands the true extent of the threat that we are facing and is winning the war. Countering insurgency is not a sprint but rather a marathon.
Troops are taking the fight to the terrorists and making strides each passing day. Much has been done, and much more is still being done to achieve peace and security across the country, he further assured.
” The armed forces are not oblivious to the security challenges across the country in recent times, particularly with the spike in kidnappings for ransom. Whether or not advertised crowdfunding is contributing to the kidnappings across the country remains an ongoing debate.
“The ugly trend of kidnappings has dimmed the light on the successes of gallant troops in combating terrorists, insurgents, and their cohorts across the country to create a safer environment for citizens.
He said the military recognises the urgency for an immediate turnaround of the situation and is, therefore, actively working for peace and security across the country.
“It is worthy of mention to state that achieving enduring peace in the country requires that there be a change in the conditions that make the terrorists, insurgents, and their cohorts willing to fight and carry out dastardly acts on fellow citizens”
The Director said the current situation calls for all hands on deck, with everyone playing their role towards achieving enduring peace. “The armed forces, on their part, have boots on the ground strategically deployed across the country to combat the terrorists, insurgents, and their cohorts.”
For instance, on it commitment troops during the week under review, neutralised 185 terrorists and arrested 212 of them. Troops also arrested 44 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 71 kidnapped hostages.
“In the South-South region, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of One Billion Sixty-Five Million Eight Hundred and Eighty-Five Thousand and Fifty Naira (N1,065,885,050.00) only.
While in total “troops recovered 224 assorted weapons and 2,337 assorted ammunition. The breakdown is as follows: 113 AK47 rifles, one G3 rifle, one PKT gun, 44 locally fabricated guns, 4 pump-action guns, 2 pistols, 2 locally fabricated pistols, one Beretta pistol, 25 Dane guns, one double-barrel gun, one single-barrel gun, one locally fabricated revolver gun, and 7 IEDs primed.
Others are 1,382 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 387 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 74 rounds of 9mm ammo, 23 K2 rounds of ammo, 111 live cartridges, 5,410 empty cases of 7.62mm special, 6 empty cases of cartridges, 2 magazines loaded with 60 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 21 magazines, one pistol magazine, 2 bandoliers, 2 vehicles, 22 motorcycles, 47 mobile phones, 11 HH radios, and the sum of N2,369,670.00, among other items.
General Buba also disclosed that the troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 12 dugout pits, 61 boats, 56 storage tanks, and 13 vehicles. Other items recovered include 78 cooking ovens, 4 pump machines, and 51 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 815,980 litres of stolen crude oil, 163,675 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 1,750 litres of DPK.