The Nigerian armed forces have made significant strides in the fight against criminal elements. In a series of successful operations conducted between September 15 and September 22.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, announced these achievements on Friday, revealing that the operations led to the neutralization of 52 terrorists, the arrest of 60 individuals involved in terrorism, kidnapping, and oil theft, and the rescue of 61 kidnapped victims.
During this period, seven terrorists, including five adult males and two adult females, chose to surrender to the troops.
The military’s efforts also resulted in the recovery of a substantial cache of weapons and ammunition.
General Buba provided a breakdown of the recovered items: “The breakdown is as follows: 53 AK47 rifles, two AK47 rifles loaded with 8 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 18 locally fabricated rifles, one Beretta pistol, three pump-action guns, 650 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 50 AK47 magazines, two rounds of 9mm ammo, six rounds of 7.62 NATO, and five fragmentation jackets.”
Additionally, the troops confiscated 15 vehicles, 12 motorcycles, 12 bicycles, five mobile phones, 12 cutlasses, two generator sets, two gas cylinders, 133 livestock, a sum of N602,000 in cash, and Airtel airtime worth N8,000.
Operation Delta Safe, focused on combating oil theft, proved to be a resounding success. The troops denied oil thieves an estimated sum of N946.38 million, representing the value of the seized items.
These included 496,250 liters of stolen crude oil, 83,400 liters of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, 1,200 liters of Premium Motor Spirit, four pumping machines, five speedboats, 34 dugout pits, 57 storage tanks, 16 wooden boats, 85 ovens, and three outboard engines.
General Buba emphasized the military’s commitment to its mission: “The mission of the military against terrorist and other violent extremist groups in the country remains unchanged. The military will continue with aggressive operations to force these groups to submission.”
The operations encompassed various regions of Nigeria, with troops engaging in ambushes, raids, rescue operations, fighting patrols, attacks, cordon and search activities, and more.
These efforts were conducted in several local government areas, including those in Borno, Kaduna, Benue, Ebonyi, Anambra, and Imo States.
General Buba concluded by urging citizens to play an active role in enhancing security: “Citizens are encouraged to know something, say something, and let the military do something about it.”
