The military said on Thursday that not less than 73 terrorists were neutralized in operations last week while an unspecified number of terrorists were killed in air raid at Bukar Meram terrorists training Area in Borno State.
Director of Defence Media Operations Major General Edward Buba who made this disclosure in Abuja said that ” in collaboration with our foreign partners, the military conducted a surgical operation targeted at the residence of an ISWAP terrorist commander in Niger State”
He said that several arrests and discoveries were made during the operation but added that being an ongoing operation not much can be revealed at this stage. Nevertheless, one thing is certain, the operation is just one of several others to flush out the terrorist.
According to him, 182 terrorists were arrested last week, while 14 perpetrators of oil theft fell into the hands of the troops. 68 kidnapped hostages were rescued .
In the South South Zone where oil theft is unabated , troops denied oil theft of the estimated sum of One billion ,two Hundred and Twelve Million Forty Six Thousand One Hundred and Forty Naira (N1, 212,046,140.00) only.
During the week under review troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 15 dugout pits, 45 boats, 87 storage tanks, 128 cooking ovens, one pumping machine, 4 outboard engine and 63 illegal refining sites.
The troops also recovered 962,500 litres of stolen crude oil, 35,420 litres of illegally refined AGO, 38,450 litres of DPK and 45,000 litres of PMS.
Troops operations have also been very penetrating in the three Northern Zones of the country that led to troops recovery of 119 assorted weapons and 1,537 assorted ammunition.
The breakdown as follows: one GPMG, 3 PKT guns, 39 AK47 rifles, 5 locally fabricated rifles, one locally made double barrel gun, one barreta pistols, 4 locally made pistols, 5 RPG bombs, 5 pu,p action gus, one short gun, one hand grenade, 2 dane guns, one AK47 rifle loaded with 14 rounds of 7.62mm special, one locally made pistol loaded with live cartridges.
Others are: 586 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, a bag containing 287 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 389 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 141 rounds of 7.62mm special (belted) ammo, 12 rounds of 9mm ammo, 113 rounds of live cartridges, 25 empty magazine, 13 vehicles, 3 motorcycles, 10 mobile phones, 2 HH radio, one boafeng radio and the sum of N3,308,700.00 amongst other items.
Major General Buba assured the citizens that the armed forces is in the lead in the ongoing country insurgency and counter-terrorist operations in the country.
” Significantly, these operations have killed or captured several terrorist, extremist leaders, their facilitators, key associates and numerous of their foot soldiers.” he said.