Troops kill 147, arrest 381 persons

Troops on the frontlines across troubled areas in Nigeria have neutralised 147 terrorists and arrested 381 persons.

Troops also arrested 23 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 113 kidnapped hostages, the spokesman of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Edward Buba, revealed.

According to Buba, who gave a bi-weekly scorecard of military activities in the last two weeks, the recently rejigged war against crude oil theft operations in the Niger Delta has begun to yield a noticeable increase in the nation’s crude oil production.

“Though we are not yet at where we want to be in terms of daily crude oil production, troops will sustain the renewed vigour and momentum until the crude oil production target is achieved and exceeded,” he said.

Meanwhile, the General disclosed that ongoing operations in other parts of the country remain focused on defeating and killing the enemy wherever they are hiding.

He said, “Indeed, we are in a better place today than at any previous time.”

According to him, during the week under review, troops neutralised 147 terrorists and arrested 381 persons.

“Troops also arrested 23 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 113 kidnapped hostages. In the South-South, troops denied oil theft of the estimated sum of Nine Hundred and Forty-Three Million One Hundred and Sixty-One Thousand Six Hundred and Eighty Naira (N943,161,680.00).

“Furthermore, troops recovered 74 assorted weapons and 3,498 assorted ammunition. The breakdown is as follows: one dushka, one RPG bomb, one RPG charger, 42 AK47 rifles, 10 fabricated rifles, 13 dane guns, one FN rifle, one revolver pistol, one locally made pistol, 27 magazines, one AK47 dummy rifle, one AK47 top cover, and one baofeng radio.

“Other items include 288 rounds of RG55 ammo, 40 rounds of CJ95 ammo, 2,466 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 470 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 73 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 112 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm, 42 live cartridges, 6 vehicles, 32 motorcycles, and 8 mobile phones, among other items.

“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 15 dugout pits, 17 boats, 62 drums, one receiver, and 27 storage tanks. Other items recovered include 32 cooking ovens, 2 outboard engines, 2 pumping machines, 2 vehicles, one tricycle, 3 motorcycles, and 84 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 920,800 litres of stolen crude oil, 88,760 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 7,500 litres of PMS.

“Overall, we are constantly assessing our actions, adjusting, and amending our operations in order to annihilate terrorists across the country. Accordingly, troops are working decisively to kill the terrorists, stop the insecurity, and ensure the safety of citizens across the country.

“Citizens are urged to note that winning the war depends not only on the military, weapons, and finances. It also largely depends on the people. Together we can make an extraordinary difference in wiping out insecurity in our nation,” he said.