Military operations spokesman Major General Edward Buba said on Friday that manhunt and thorough clearance operations are ongoing in some communities in Delta State to arrest the perpetrators and barbaric killers of 18 soldiers on March 14, 2024 at Okuama.
“Clearance operations as well as cordon and search were conducted to among other things recover the weapons of the deceased soldiers.”
Major General Buba stated this in a statement noted that “some of the communities in which troops have operates include: Akugbene, Ukuama and Okoloba Communities in Ugheli and Ugheli South of Delta State.
“Others are; Ukuama Amusamo, Akwagbe, Arhavwarien, Pirigbene and Igbomatoro Communities all in Delta State.
“The decomposing hearts of some of the killed soldiers were recovered during search, while the manhunt continues
with no significant arrest yet made.”
He urged the communities and Delta State government to assist in the investigation and arrest of culprits.
Major General Buba noted that significantly, there is a viral video of person admitting to have perpetrated the killings of the soldier in Delta State. The video among other things helps to narrow investigations to persons of interest and their cohorts.
“Accordingly, the state government and host communities of these personalities are required to assist instigation in flushing them out. There can be no hiding place for perpetrators of such dastardly act against our nation. This is a clarion call to duty by members of those communities and the state governments,” he added.
The Director also made it crystal clear that the ongoing counter-insurgency and counter terrorist operation across the country is a fight for our sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation. He assured that troops would continue to put themselves in harms way in order protect and secure the citizens of this country.
He said that consequent upon its operations across the country within the week, troops rescued several kidnapped hostages, reunited them with their loved ones. Troops also disrupted untoward activities of terrorist, thereby preventing them from carrying out acts of terror or harming citizens.
Across theatres of operation in the country troops neutralised 106 terrorist and made 103 arrests. Troops also arrested 22 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 96 kidnapped hostages.
In addition to the above, troops recovered 171 assorted weapons and 2,452 assorted ammunition. The breakdown as follows: 47 AK47 rifles, one PKT gun, 18 pump action rifles, 17 locally fabricated guns, 14 dane guns, 12 locally fabricated pistols, one fabricated revolver, one hand grenade, 81mm mortar bomb, one mortar tube and 4 bandoliers
Others are: 995 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 468 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 317 live cartridges, 125 rounds of 9mm ammo, 313 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 13 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm, 19 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm, 167 empty shells of 7.62mm special ammo, 45 empty shells of 7.62mm NATO, 72 empty cases of cartridges, 14 magazines, 10 vehicles, 23 motorcycles, 19 mobile phones, one bicycles, 4 baofeng radios, and the sum of N112,920.00 amongst other items.
In the South South Zone, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of Seven Hundred and and Fifty Four Million One Hundred and Forty Nine Thousand and Six Hundred Naira (N754,149,600.00) only.
Troops in the Niger Delta area also discovered and destroyed 51 dugout pits, 17 boats, 15 storage tanks and 4 vehicles. Other items recovered incl 21 cooking ovens, 3 pumping machines and 40 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 772,350 litres of stolen crude oil, 80,530 litres of illegally refined AGO and 1,500 litres of DPK.