The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) said the military troops have degraded the terrorists, even though they are still present in the theatres of operation, adding that no fewer than 2,245 terrorists were neutralised, 3,682 arrested, and other criminal elements in the second quarter of 2024.
This was disclosed on Thursday by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, while briefing newsmen at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, on the successes recorded so far.
According to Gen. Buba, “The resolve of the armed forces is very clear and it is to destroy the terrorists and dismantle their military capabilities for citizens to be safe.
“Accordingly, troops are actively fighting in different forms and retain operational flexibility which gives us the ability to respond to different events and to project forces according to strategic needs.
“Indeed, the military has greatly degraded the terrorists, even though they are still present in the theatres of operation. It would take time and effort to destroy these terrorists, particularly as counter-insurgency is akin to a marathon, not a sprint.
“It is safe to say that the terrorist has prioritised their military capability over everything else. This is because as our forces advance and clear areas in which these terrorists hibernate, we continue to recover weapons, explosives, and IEDs which are indicative of the priorities of the terrorists. Nevertheless, we continue to wipe out the terrorist through synchronised ground and air operations.”
Gen. Buba further said, “During the second quarter of this year, troops neutralized 2,245 terrorists, arrested 3,682 suspected terrorists and other criminal elements as well as rescued 1,993 kidnapped hostages.
“Also, troops recovered 2,783 weapons, and 64,547 ammunitions and denied the oil theft of an estimated sum over N10 bn (N10,533,131,470.00) only.
“The breakdown for the period includes and is not limited to the following: 1,169 AK47 rifles, 36,273 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 14,764 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 713 assorted arms, and 9,850 assorted ammo.
“Others are 9,225,149 litres of stolen crude oil, 2,874,916 litres of illegally refined AGO, 29,900 litres of DPK and 31,380 litres of PMS amongst other item.”
Furthermore, he explained, “Troops’ operations are continually assessed to make adjustments in our actions, thereby amending our operations to increasingly ensure we minimize civilian casualties.
“Our operations are progressing according to plan as we abide by international laws governing armed conflict.
“Overall, we will do everything within the bounds of the law to make our nation safe for citizens. The military will keep up with the fighting spirit and maintain the stamina in the frontlines. Our pride is to risk our lives, to save the lives of our citizens. This is what we do to secure our country.”
