1 month ago
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BY ANDREW OROLUA
Nigerian troops neutralised 108 terrorists and arrested 172 others across the country within the week in the ongoing efforts to ride the country of insurgents and violent elements.
Troops also arrested 32 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 214 kidnapped hostages, the Director of Defence Media Operations, DMO, Major General Edward Buba said in a statement on Friday.
He said that in the South South Zone where intense pressure is mounted on economic saboteurs, to troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of One Billion Three Hundred and Forty Six Million Three Hundred and Eighty Two Thousand Nine Hundred Naira (N1,346,382,900.00) only.
Additionally, he stated, troops recovered 66 assorted weapons and 4,087 assorted ammunition with the breakdown as follows: “one dushka, one MG, 2 GPMGs, one RPG launcher, one RPG bomb, one AK56 rifle, 37 AK47 rifles, 4 MRAPs, 2 GTs, 3 fabricated rifles, 6 dane guns, 3 locally made pistols, 6 magazines, one bandolier and 2 HH radios.
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“Others are: 313 rounds of 7.62mm PKT, 2,362 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 699 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 201 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 503 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm, 9 live cartridges, one belted of NATO ammo, 19 vehicles, 44 motorcycles, 3 mobile phones and the sum of N4,986,000.00 only amongst other items.
“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 487 dugout pits, 32 boats and 12 storage tanks.
“Other items recovered include 71 cooking ovens, 2 speedboats, 2 pumping machines, 2 HH radios, 19 vehicles, 32 motorcycles, one tricycle, one wheelbarrow and 76 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 1,133,800 litres of stolen crude oil, 228,770 litres of illegally refined AGO, 100 litres of DPK and 20,000 litres of PMS.”
The Director assured that the military would not allow enemies of democracy to derail the democratic process in country. “Essentially, as part of our mandate as a force, we are committed to ensuring that democracy thrives in our nation.
He said the armed forces is ready as a formidable force for the emerging threats confronting the nation, particularly the prevailing issues of protest in the country that took a violent and subversive dimension.
“We will not relent in tackling these threats to ensure the stability of our nation”, because it is our constitutional responsibilities,
“Importantly, the military stands firm and resolute to preserving the nation’s hard earned democracy and oppose any form of unconstitutional change of government,” he said.
“Indeed, we will work assiduously to provide the enabling environments to support government in the attainment of objectives in addressing the issues of poverty and hardship in the country.”
English (US) ·