Troops kill 572 terrorists, arrest 790, rescue 479 abductees, others in July
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Defence Headquarters DHQ says troops have killed 572 terrorists, arrested 790 suspected terrorists and other criminal elements as well as rescued 479 kidnapped hostages.
The Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO) Maj-Gen Edward Buba disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Friday.
He gave an update on the ongoing military operations by the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), Maj-Gen Buba also disclosed that troops recovered 440 weapons, 10,589 ammunitions and denied the oil theft of an estimated sum of over N3bn naira.
”The armed forces seeks to bring stability wherever it may be needed in the face of ongoing protest across the country. We have tightened security in several areas , bearing in mind the protest was hijacked and turned violent in some parts of the country”, he said.
“Sadly at about 2000hrs on 31 Jul 24 in the NE , lives were lost on the eve of the protest. The incident occurred when a female suicide bomber infiltrated and detonated her suicide vest in Kawuri Village of Konduga LGA in Borno State. The incident resulted in 17 civilian deaths with several others wounded and receiving treatment in hospital.
“Inspite of the ugly incident, our operations are continuing to deepen our successes particularly in the NE,NW, NC and SE zones of the nation. In the SS, troops restrategised operations to boost optimal output in crude oil production by curbing crude oil theft.
“Overall, in July 2024, troops neutralized 572 terrorists, arrested 790 suspected terrorists and other criminal elements as well as rescued 479 kidnapped hostages. Additionally, troops recovered 440 weapons, 10,589 ammunitions and denied the oil theft of an estimated sum over #3 bn (N3,652,382,080.00) only.”
He added,”The breakdown of recoveries in the month of July includes and is not limited to the following: 232 AK47 rifles, 93 locally fabricated guns, 82 dane guns, 32 pump action guns, 5,041 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 2,768 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 659 cartridges, 63 assorted arms and 2,259 assorted ammunitions.
“Others are 3,650,080 litres of stolen crude oil, 625,518 litres of illegally refined AGO, 450 litres of DPK and 1,230 litres of PMS amongst other items.”
Buba reaffirmed the commitment of the military to defend and protect the country and the citizens.
“The military remains committed and strong to its mission of defending the country and protecting citizens. Citizens are urged not to compromise on security, otherwise the security of everyone is compromised,” he said.
