The military high command, yesterday, said it has ordered the deployment of troops and attack helicopters on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway in a bid to contain attacks by bandits on the rail line in the area.

In another operation, troops killed 31 insurgents in the North-east, rescued 97 kidnap victims while 1,186 terrorists and families surrendered to troops in the past two weeks even as troops had deactivated 20 illegal refineries in the Niger Delta area.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya, however, charged troops to be decisive and ruthless in dealing with terrorists and bandits, reminding them that the security threat facing the country was “real”.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, Acting Director, Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Brigadier-General Bernard Onyeuko, said following recent breach of rail transport in the area, military authorities deployed troops and attack helicopters to patrol the area, adding that, “Nigerian Air Force is also on patrol along the rail lines”.
On the North-east, he said 31 terrorists were decimated while 71 were arrested and that,1,181 insurgents surrendered to troops.

“In the course of these operations, within the period of two weeks, 31 terrorists were neutralised and 71 of them arrested, including two women logistics suppliers namely Mrs Aisha Umar, 19, with a child of two years and Mrs Kaltumi Bakura, 20, all resident at IDP Camp in Bama.

“Also a total of 122 assorted weapons were recovered. Additionally, a total of 97 kidnapped civilians were rescued, while a total of 1,186 Boko Haram elements and their families comprising 226 adult males, 406 adult females and 555 children surrendered to own troops at different locations in Borno State,” he said.

On operations in the Niger Delta, he said troops of Operation Delta Safe conducted land, maritime and air operations in the South-South Zone, to forestall activities of economic saboteurs and other criminal elements.

He said within the period, several anti-illegal oil production and raid operations were executed at different locations in the zone that yielded significant results.
He stated that in the course of the operations, troops discovered and deactivated illegal oil refining and bunkering sites in Bayeslsa, Delta and Rivers.

“Cumulatively, troops discovered and immobilised a total of 20 illegal refining sites, 62 ovens, 12 cooking pots/boilers, eight cooling systems, 19 reservoirs, 18 large dugout pits and 88 storage tanks.

“Additionally, eight criminal elements, including two impostors were arrested and seven arms and three rounds of ammunition, among other items were recovered in the course of the operations in the zone”, he said.
He said, troops rescued 13 kidnapped civilians within the period.
“Consequently, a total 1,252,250 litres of illegally refined AGO and 1,140,340l litres of stolen crude were recovered in the course of the operations”, he said.

Meanwhile, the army chief, while charging troops to be decisive and ruthless with bandits and insurgents, during an operational tour of Headquarters 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, charged the troops to be ingenious in their training and operational engagements, to effectively tackle insecurity in their areas of responsibility.

Describing emerging security threats as real, the COAS, who was received and conducted round Forward Operational Bases Sabo Birnin and Rigassa by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division, by Maj Gen Kabiru Mukhtar, directed the troops to decisively deal with bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements threatening the security of the nation.

He urged the troops to remain committed to ensuring security of lives and property of the citizenry, maintaining that it was crucial for officers and soldiers to always cultivate cordial civil-military relations with members of their host communities and the general public as critical stakeholders and catalyst for operational success.

(Courtesy THISDAY)

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