By TOM CHIAHEMEN, Abuja –
In what would appear as stock-taking, the Defence Headquartes (DHQ) said on Thursday that the war waged against insurgency and other forms of criminality across the country, yielded appreciable results in the last one year.
Briefing journalists on the operational activities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies in Abuja, acting Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Brigadier-General Bernard Onyeuko, noted that during the year, “troops neutralized scores of terrorists and bandits, while many others were incapacitated and their camps destroyed.”
“Our operations also inhibited activities of economic saboteurs as well as exposed and obviated other criminal elements’ activities. In addition, several other criminal elements, including high profile ones were either killed in action or arrested,” he added.
Besides, he said, there were records of large numbers of terrorists surrendering due to troops’ overwhelming kinetic and non-kinetic activities, while several kidnapped civilians were rescued.
“Troops also repelled and forestalled armed criminal elements’ attacks on civilians and troops, recovered caches of arms, ammunition, equipment, vehicles and oodles of livestock within the year,” Brigadier-General Onyeuko said.
Additionally, he said, in the maritime environment, troops in major and subsidiary operations were able to disrupt smuggling activities, immobilize illegal refining sites, arrest as well as neutralized perpetrators/criminal elements and recovered tons of petroleum products.
Onyeuko, who said the operational performance of the troop for the year was “a show of our commitment, synergy and determination to lay down our lives to protect our great Nation,” assured that the Armed forces of Nigeria would continue to sustain the offensive “and will not relent until peace is restored to every troubled zone in Nigeria.”
He also acknowledged and saluted the noteworthy efforts and sacrifices of the gallant officers and men as well as other security agencies that progressively conduct the various operations across the Country, declaring that although some of the troops paid the supreme prize in the course of the operations, “our dogged troops consistently exhibited gallantry and resilience in the various operations within the year.”
Giving account of the operational activities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria between 9 and 23 December 2021, Brigadier-General Onyeuko disclosed that during the period, a total of 100 terrorists and armed bandits were neutralized, while 85 others, including 16 migrant armed bandits from Niger Republic, were arrested.
According to him, a total of 1,081 terrorists and members of their families were compelled to surrender to the Nigerian troops, while 53 kidnapped civilians were rescued from their abductors.
The troops also recovered over 200 assorted weapons including AK-47 machine guns and dozens of livestock from different operations carried out in the last two weeks.
He further revealed that in Operation DELTA SAFE, troops sustained anti-illegal oil production operations and other non-kinetic operations to forestall activities of vandals and other economic saboteurs in the South – South Zone.
“Consequently, in the last 2 weeks, troops discovered and immobilized a total of 14illegal refining sites, 19 ovens,13 cooking pots/boilers, 15 cooling systems, 15 reservoirs, 5 large dugout pits and 33storage tanks in the Niger Delta Region.
“A total of 896,500litresand 70polythene bags of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil were recovered in the process. Also, a total of 11,000 litres of illegally refined Dual Purpose Kerosene and 689,000litres of stolen crude oil were recovered in the course of the operations. In addition, 28 pieces of galvanized pipes, 3 tanker trucks and 12 wooden boats used for illegal oil bunkering activities were recovered and handled appropriately in the course of the operations. All the arrested criminals and recovered items have been handed over to relevant security agencies for further action,” Brigadier-General Onyeuko said.
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