Metro
Troops Neutralize 216 Terrorists, Arrest 356 Suspects — DHQ
The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, on Friday stated that the Troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) and other security agencies in the country have neutralized 216 terrorists, arrested 356 suspects, and rescued 161 kidnapped hostages in the various theatres of operations across the six geo-political zones of the country in the last one week in the renewed war against insurgency activities nationwide.
This information was contained in a statement made available to Defence Correspondents in Abuja by Director Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Major General Edward Buba, on ongoing Military Operations as of Friday, April 26, this year, by the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) and other security agencies against insurgency activities in the country.
According to the statement, “During the week under review, troops neutralized 216 terrorists and arrested 332 persons. Additionally, troops also arrested 24 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 161 kidnapped hostages.
“In the South South, troops denied the theft of oil estimated at the sum of Four Hundred and Forty Eight Million Five Hundred Fifty Seven Thousand Five Hundred and Ninety Naira (N448,557,590.00) only.”
“Furthermore, troops recovered 234 assorted weapons and 5,994 assorted ammunition.
” The breakdown as follows: 131 AK47 rifles, 3 PKT guns, one M16 rifle, 43 locally fabricated gun, 21 dane guns, one 105mm gun, 2 automatic pump action guns, 18 locally fabricated pistols, 8 single barrel guns, 2 automatic pump action guns, one LG4 bomb, one MG skeleton, 3 explosive IED case, one MOWAG APC, one 81mm mortar tripod stand.
” Others are: 3,120 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 2,195 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 211 rounds of 9mm ammo, 99 rounds of 7.62 x 25mm ammo, 467 live cartridges, one rifle butt, 15 magazines, 2 baofeng radios, 10 vehicles, 38 motorcycles, 43 mobile phones and the sum of N871,500.00 amongst other items.
It added that the ” Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 97 dugout pits, 6 boats, 20 storage tanks, 2 receivers, 16 drums and 7 vehicles. Other items recovered incl 174 cooking ovens, one pumping machine and 8 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 533,127 litres of stolen crude oil and 24,520 litres of illegally refined AGO.
On the activities of the “JOINT TASK FORCE OPERATION HADIN KAI (NORTH EAST)”, the Troops of Operation HADIN KAI recorded the following activities during the period under review; rescued abducted chibok girl, conducted fighting patrol, discovered ammo and surrendering of BH/ISWAP terrorists fighters and theirs families in Gwoza, Damboa, Kukawa, Bama, Kala, Mafa and Dikwa Local Government Areas of Borno State as well as Tarmuwa Local Government Area of Yobe State respectively.
The Troops of the “JOINT TASK FORCE OPERATION SAFE HAVEN (NORTH CENTRAL)” recorded the following during the period under review; arrested violent extremists/terrorists in Barkin Ladi, Jos East, Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas of Plateau State.
It added that the Troops of “OPERATION WHIRL STROKE (NORTH CENTRAL) recorded the following during the week under review; troops conducted offensive operations in Katsina-Ala and Ukum LGAs of Benue State as well as Awe and Yorro LGAs of Nasarawa and Taraba States”
It further explained that the Troops of “JOINT TASK FORCE OPERATION HADARIN DAJI (NORTH WEST)’
recorded the following during the period under review; conducted offensive operations and arrested suspected terrorists collaborators in Faskari and Danmusa LGAs of Katsina State as well as Maru LGA of Zamfara State.
According to it, ” the troops of JOINT TASK FORCE OPERATION WHIRL PUNCH (NORTH WEST) recorded the following during the week under review; conducted fighting patrols and arrested violent extremists in Giwa and Igabi LGAs of Kaduna State as well as Ofu LGA and AMAC of Kogi State and FCT, Abuja
The statement further added that ” the Troops JOINT TASK FORCE OPERATION DELTA SAFE (SOUTH SOUTH) also maintained momentum against the activities of crude oil thet as the Troops destroyed several illegal refining sites and recovered stolen products.
According to it, Troops also arrested suspected violent extremists/vandals in Ethiope West, Ughelli and Ndokwa LGAs of Delta State as well as Orhionmwon and Esan North East LGAs of Edo State respectively.
The statement declared that, “the military is going to continue to be very kinetic and strong against the terrorist in ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations across the country.
It vowed that “Indeed, the Military will banish and defeat terrorism from the nation rather than bow to it.
While stating that the Troops were maintaining the momentum in neutralizing the terrorist leaders and commanders it reassured that the military remained focused in fighting for the basic safety and security of citizens of this country.
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has rescued Chief Superintendent of Police Modestus Ojiebe, who was abducted by armed men along the Kubwa Expressway in Abuja.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the development in a statement on Monday, stating that the officer had been safely reunited with his family.
“Upon receiving the distress call, the Divisional Police Officer of Dawaki Division acted swiftly, leading his patrol team while alerting all police checkpoints and key entry and exit points into the FCT. This decisive response enabled the successful rescue of the officer on the same night,” she said.
The police further disclosed that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the suspects, who abandoned the officer and fled into the bush in Garaku, Nasarawa State.
According to a security expert, Zagazola Makama, in a post on X on Monday, the incident occurred late Sunday night when Ojiebe’s Toyota Corolla developed a mechanical fault near Dei-Dei Barracks. While attempting to repair the vehicle, he disclosed that an ash-coloured Mercedes-Benz with four armed occupants stopped behind him.
The assailants reportedly searched and robbed Ojiebe and his wife of their mobile phones and ATM cards. Upon discovering his police identity card, they forcibly took him into their vehicle and sped off, leaving his wife and their car behind.
Following the abduction, the FCT Police intensified stop-and-search operations at various entry and exit points in an effort to track down the perpetrators.
The police assured the public that investigations were ongoing to bring the culprits to justice.
Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen have attacked several communities of Tse Ugema Chul, Mbakesa, Ugbaam, in Ukum Local Government Area (LGA), of Benue state killing six villagers.
Tse Ugema village settlement is just a few kilometres to Zaki Biam International Yam Market.
As at the time of filing this report on Sunday evening, a resident from the area, who didn’t want to be named, told newsmen on phone that six dead bodies have already been recovered while many others are still missing.
It was gathered that the incident took place on Friday when some cattle strayed into their farmlands and destroyed their yams.
Some youths in the area mobilized to defend their village and farm produce from the invaders when they were ambushed and killed.
The source said “while the youths were going after the cattle, unknown gunmen who laid ambush open fire and killed many of them.
He said they informed men of Nigeria Army who are stationed at a village called Wuaze, in Ukum LG which is few meters away from the scene of the attack.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benue Command, CSP Catherine Anene said she was yet to get report from Ukum.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Ukum LG, Mr Jonathan Modi has confirmed the attack.
Modi who went to the scene of the incident said he couldn’t grant interview on phone because he was in a pensive mood.
He said “I’m in Zaki Biam right now and in pains about what happened in Zaki Biam.”
Zarah Abubakar Shehu, a 21-year-old student at the Federal University Gusau, has tragically passed away while in captivity, four months after being abducted along with her two siblings.
This information was shared on Sunday by Zagazola Makama, an expert in counter-insurgency with a focus on the Lake Chad region, via a post on his X account.
Zarah, who was in her third year of studies, was taken from her residence in the Damba area of Gusau during the early hours of Sunday, November 3, 2024, by armed assailants.
Makama reported that the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N35 million for their release, but after negotiations, they settled for N10 million.
Despite receiving the ransom, the abductors refused to release Zarah, instead insisting on the provision of four motorcycles (Boza) and four cartons of engine oil. After extensive efforts to fulfill these demands, the items were finally obtained.
However, upon informing the kidnappers’ leader, it was revealed that Zarah had already died and had been buried two days prior. She was the only daughter of her mother and endured four months of captivity before her tragic demise.
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