By Gbemiga Olamikan.
Daily record of troops turning the tide against terrorist and violent extremist across the country in their operation, is one of the best things that has happened to Armed Forces of Nigeria. Also making the support base of the terrorist groups dislocates is another achievement of the ongoing operations. Just as the troops in the North Central theatre of operation intercepted and apprehended 2 ammunition couriers that collaborate with the terrorist. The arrested persons identified as Danweri and Abubakar Hamza were apprehended in Alkaleri LGA of Bauchi State and cooperating with troops.
This was disclosed by the Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba in a statement signed in Abuja. He said that during the week under review, troops neutralised 148 and arrested 258 persons. Troops also arrested 51 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 291 kidnapped hostages. In the SS, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of Seven Hundred and Ninety Eight Million One Hundred and Forty Six Thousand Four Hundred and Seventy Naira (N798,146,470.00) only.
Gen Buba also disclosed that, troops recovered 146 assorted weapons and 2,599 assorted ammunition. The breakdown as follows: 2 PKT guns, 72 AK47 rifles, 33 fabricated rifles, 28 dane guns, 2 locally made SMG, 3 locally made pistols, 2 pump action guns, one RPG bomb, one RPG tube, 39 magazines.
Others are: 1,596 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 636 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 111 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm ammo, 114 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 25 rounds of 9mm ammo, 98 live cartridges, 3 baofeng radios, 3 vehicles, 36 motorcycles, 40 mobile phones and the sum of N1,838,000.00 amongst other items.
He revealed that troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 68 crude oil cooking ovens, 13 dugout pits, 41 boats, 45 storage tanks and 66 illegal refining sites. Other items recovered include 4 speedboats, one pumping machine, 150 drums, one generator, 2 motorcycles, 2 mobile phones, one drone and 5 vehicles among others. Troops recovered 657,470 litres of stolen crude oil, 127,870 litres of illegally refined AGO and 5,000 litres of DPK.
He assured that troops remain focussed on destroying military capability as well as the will of you terrorist and violent extremist across the country as troops are in a good position and winning the war.
