BY ANDREW OROLUA
The Military has vowed to end terrorism before the end of 2024. According to the Director of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Edward Buba, efforts have been intensified to target and neutralize terrorists in their hiding camps.
Nigeria has dealt with terrorism actors like Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), as well as bandits, for almost two decades now.
“This year, we aim to find and destroy terrorists wherever they may be hiding to ensure an enduring defeat.
“According to our goal, troops have carried out a series of air raids on terrorist enclaves. We also exerted significant military power on areas in which the terrorists are hibernating,” he said.
According to him, this week’s military operations resulted in the neutralization of 86 terrorists and the arrest of 101 others. Troops also apprehended 30 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 21 kidnapped hostages. In the South-South Zone, troops prevented oil theft amounting to an estimated sum of Seven Hundred and Thirty-Six Million, One Hundred and Fifteen Thousand, Four Hundred and Seventy Naira (N736,115,470.00).
Furthermore, troops recovered 111 assorted weapons and 1,124 assorted ammunition. The breakdown is as follows: 65 AK47 rifles, one HK G3 gun, one G3 rifle, 8 locally fabricated guns, 15 dane guns, 2 fabricated rifles, one locally made pistol, one English pistol, one pump-action gun, 2 auto pump-action guns, and 2 single-barrel guns.
Other items include 14 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 993 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 5 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammo, 99 live cartridges, one round of 9mm ammo, one shotgun cartridge, 2 bandoliers, 2 fabricated swords, 13 magazines, 5 vehicles, 29 motorcycles, 6 bicycles, mobile phones, and one GTA radio, amongst other items.
In the Niger Delta area, troops discovered and destroyed 37 dugout pits used for illegal local refineries, 65 boats, 71 storage tanks, 14 vehicles.
Other items recovered by the troops within the week include 108 cooking ovens, 4 pump machines, one speedboat, and 60 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 1,013,530 litres of stolen crude oil, 299,169 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 3,158 litres of DPK.
Major General Buba stated, “Our operations clearly indicate that we are hunting the terrorist commanders and their senior leadership,” adding, “Indeed, from their topmost leadership to the lowest commanders, they are dead men walking and we will stop at nothing until they are dead or surrender.”
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He insisted that “the armed forces have demonstrated commitment by our actions to winning this war. Troops will therefore continue to act with tremendous force to achieve the task ahead.”
On the infiltration of terrorists into the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), General Buba said: “On 6 January 2024, troops in conjunction with hybrid forces conducted fighting patrols to Bwari Area Council of FCT Abuja and Rijau LGA of Niger State respectively and arrested three suspected violent extremist sympathizers.”
Major General Buba also gave insights into the January 6, 2024, incident along the Kaduna – Abuja highway where some innocent civilians were killed. He explained it was unfortunate that some civilians were caught in the crossfire between troops and terrorist groups who were crossing the highway because their former location had become unbearable for them to stay.
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