The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) has affirmed its determination in its counter-insurgency campaign against terrorists and their sponsors operating across the country, adding that their operations have prevented the dare-devil elements from accomplishing their strategic objectives.
Disclosing the achievement of the ongoing military operations by the Armed Forces of Nigeria, ending the week of January 5, 2024, the Director of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Major General Edward Buba, said the Military Troops are hunting terrorists in their hiding places and conducting targeted offensives against them to destroy them.
He said the combat teams have neutralised several of the terrorist leadership and their foot soldiers as well as degraded their military capabilities.
According to General Buba, “During the week in focus, troops conducted ambushes, raids, fighting patrols, and other forms of offensives against the terrorists. These offensive actions resulted in 43 neutralized terrorists and 115 arrests. Troops recovered 87 assorted weapons and 666 assorted ammunition.
“The troops also arrested 17 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 39 kidnapped hostages. In the SS, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of One Hundred and Fifty-Nine Million Six Hundred and Fifty-Two Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty Naira (N159,652,620.00) only.
“The breakdown of weapons and other items recovered are as follows: 11 AK47 rifles, one FN rifle, 2 pump action guns, 8 locally fabricated guns, 11 Dane guns, 2 locally fabricated pistols, one macarrol pistol, one Berretta pistol, one fabricated SMG, one locally made mortar with one empty bomb, 4 IEDs, 17 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 592 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 4 rounds of 7.5mm ammo, one round of 9mm ammo and 36 live cartridges.
“Others are 18 empty cases of 7.62mm special, 2 bandoliers, 13 magazines, 6 vehicles, 21 mobile phones, 9 motorcycles, 15 bicycles, 2 tricycles, 5 boafeng HH radios, and the sum of N1,601,370.00 amongst other items.
“Troops in the Niger Delta area destroyed 20 dugout pits, 29 boats, 31 storage tanks, one tricycle and 3 vehicles. Other items recovered include 24 cooking ovens, 3 pump machines, and 25 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 315,700 litres of stolen crude oil, 1,200 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 3,158 litres of DPK.
“We assure you that we will defeat the terrorist on the battlefield and in their hiding places so that our country can flourish again. We have no choice but to win this war for the betterment of our nation.
“We call on the public to continue to act responsibly and be forthcoming for the progress of our nation. Citizens are urged to see themselves as the outstretched arm of the military in this war and to create conditions that would hasten victory.”
