The Defence high command has said soldiers on counter-insurgency operations and other security operations across the country killed 39 terrorists and arrested 157 others.

The troops also arrested 16 oil thieves and rescued 109 kidnapped persons in various parts of the country.

Director Defence Media Operations (DMO) Major General Edward Buba, who made the disclosure in a briefing, said soldiers fighting illegal bunkering and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta area, discovered and destroyed 71 dugout pits, 36 boats, 83 storage tanks, 5 vehicles, 4 motorcycles, 58 cooking ovens, 5 pumping machines, 3 generators, 3 speedboats, and 34 illegal refining sites.

Buba was giving an update on military operations conducted in the last two weeks where he said the troops recovered 569,400 liters of stolen crude oil, 486,000 liters of illegally refined AGO, and 59,500 liters of PMS.

General Buba, while noting that military and other security agencies operations conducted across the country yielded positive results in the last two weeks, said troops recovered 55 assorted weapons and 96 assorted ammunition.

He listed the recovered weapons to include 12 AK47 rifles, one GPMG, one HK21 gun, one FN rifle loaded with 5 rounds of NATO ammo, two Dane guns, three fabricated rifles, one fabricated pistol, three locally made pistols, 11 AK47 magazines, 71 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 22 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 2 rounds of 9mm ammo, one cartridge, one bandolier, 7 rounds 7.62mm special empty cases, 24 motorcycles, 13 mobile phones, 10 bicycles and the sum of N881,700.00.

Gen. Buba, while assuring Nigerians of the determination of the military to continue to protect the nation from external and internal invasion, said the military will continue to pursue aggressive military operations against violent extremist groups seeking to undermine the security of the country and conduct violence against the people.

He said, “The ongoing counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations across the country remain critical to the armed forces’ efforts to achieve peace and ensure that violent extremist groups do not find safe haven in the country.

“The focus of the military is to conduct its operations in support of national security interests. Accordingly, the armed forces continue to work with supportive groups to defeat any group undermining security and safety in the country.

“The armed forces remains focused on its core mission and would continually make adjustments along the way to better protect citizens, while isolating and annihilating those groups constituting a security nuisance to the country.” (The Guardian)

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