…As pressure mounts on insurgents
The Armed Forces of Nigeria continues throughout in January to sustain a high tempo counter terrorist and insurgency operations across the country in the bid to end the 16 years old insurgency in the country.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba said on Friday that troops neutralized 358 and arrested and arrested 431 suspected terrorists.
Troops also apprehended 59 perpetrators of oil theft in the South South Zone of the country where fight against thieves of crude oil is ranging in efforts to shore up the country crude oil production. Troops also rescued a total of 249 kidnapped hostages.
Major General Buba said that in the South South Zone the troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of over #2 bn (N2,699,660,460.00). He gave the breakdown as follows: 2,732,038 litres of stolen crude oil, 42,515 litres of illegally refined Automated Gas Oil, 200 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene, DPK, and 2,250 litres of Petro Motor Spirit ,PMS, amongst other items.
According to him, “additionally, troops recovered 370 weapons and 4,972 ammunitions which includes and not limited to the following: 105 AK47 rifles, 25 locally fabricated guns, 32 dane guns, 23 pump action guns, 3,066 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 758 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 980 cartridges, 72 assorted arms and 500 assorted ammunitions.”
He said that overall, the armed forces is fighting “admirably in defeating terrorists and their cohorts across the country. Troops remain focussed in creating conditions in which the safety and security of citizens is assured.”