Insecurity : DHQ Commits To Safeguarding Nigerians

By Aisha Adesanya

In an update on its ongoing operations against terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria, the Military High Command says its troops have continued to sustain their tempo in the fight against insecurity.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who stated this while addressing newsmen in Abuja reiterated the Armed Forces commitment to securing the nation and safeguarding its citizens from terrorist and extremist groups.

The Director, who noted that
securing the nation remains a top priority for the Nigerian Armed Forces said vigorous efforts are being made by the troops in their various theatres of operation across the six geo political zones of the country, to achieve this
crucial mandate.

“Significantly, these operations have killed or captured several terrorists, extremist leaders, their facilitators, key associates and numerous of their foot soldiers.

Relatedly, the ongoing surgical operations recently embarked upon have thrown these evil elements into a state of complete disarray due to the precision of the operations. The terrorists and extremists alike are now perplexed and suffocated with little or no hiding place. It is now a question of sooner than later, before it would be too late for most of them”.

According to him ongoing counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations have in the last week resulted in the elimination and arrest of several terrorists, rescue of kidnapped victims as well as recovery of different ammunitions.

“The message is clear to all. You are either on the side of Nigerians and the Armed Forces, or against us in the fight against terrorists and extremists.

The operations of the last one week, resulted in 73 neutralized terrorists with 182 of them arrested. Troops also arrested 14 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 68 kidnapped hostages.

“Furthermore, troops recovered 119 assorted weapons and 1,537 assorted ammunition. The breakdown as follows: one GPMG, 3 PKT guns, 39 AK47 rifles, 5 locally fabricated rifles, one locally made double barrel gun, one barreta pistols, 4 locally made pistols, 5 RPG bombs, 5 pu,p action gus, one short gun, one hand grenade, 2 dane guns, one AK47 rifle loaded with 14 rounds of 7.62mm special, one locally made pistol loaded with live cartridges”.

Others are: 586 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, a bag containing 287 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 389 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 141 rounds of 7.62mm special (belted) ammo, 12 rounds of 9mm ammo, 113 rounds of live cartridges, 25 empty magazine, 13 vehicles, 3 motorcycles, 10 mobile phones, 2 HH radio, one boafeng radio and the sum of N3,308,700.00 amongst other items.

General Buba further explained that efforts by troops in the South South zone yielded positive results with illegal refining sites destroyed and crude oil products worth over a billion naira denied oil thieves.

“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 15 dugout pits, 45 boats, 87 storage tanks, 128 cooking ovens, one pumping machine, 4 outboard engines and 63 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 962,500 litres of stolen crude oil, 35,420 litres of illegally refined AGO, 38,450 litres of DPK and 45,000 litres of PMS”.

The Director Defence Media Operations urged citizens to continue to support the troops in their tireless efforts in the battle against terrorism and insurgency.

Edited By Grace Namiji