The Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) announced on Thursday that its troops, working with other sister security agencies, have killed 60 Boko Haram/Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, terrorists and detained over 90 other criminals in the past two weeks, in addition to 145 others, including their family members.
Major-General Musa Danmadami, the Director of Defence Media Operations (DMO), said this while providing Defense Correspondents with updates on military operations and other security efforts in the country’s six geopolitical theaters of operations in order to put a stop to insurgency activities.
He said that the achievement was made possible by the kinetic and non-kinetic actions carried out by Nigerian military personnel and other security agencies.
He continued by saying that other stolen petroleum products worth N2,435,021,343.94 had also been recovered from oil thieves in the Niger Delta during the period under review.
According to him, “on October 24, troops in conjunction with Civilian Joint Task Force at custom Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camp Shuwari town in Maiduguri Local Government Area of Borno State, arrested one suspect in possession of 67 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and that the suspect was currently in troops custody for further interrogation.”
General Danmadami said: “Cumulatively, within the weeks under review, oil thieves were denied a total of 54,547 barrels of crude oil, 817, 900 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, 5,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit and 10,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosine amounting to the sum of N2,435,021,343.94.”
He claimed that in Borno State’s Bama, Kukawa, Kaga, and Biu Local Government Areas as well as Damaturu, Gujba, and Geidam Local Government Areas, troops engaged in ambushes, clearance operations, fighting patrols, and cordon and search operations between October 20 and November 2, 2022. He also claimed that in the North East Zone, operation Hadin Kai troops continued operational activities in villages, mountains, towns, and cities within their area of responsibility.
“Troops arrested 27 suspected Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province terrorists, neutralised 19 and recovered 1 RPG bomb, 1 GPMG, 2 x 36 hand grenade, 6 AK47 rifles, 61 rounds of 7.62mm special, 36 refilled 7.62 mm special, 3 AK47 magazines and 3 magazine holders. Others are 6 motorcycles, 7 bicycles, 1 pumping machine, 6 grinding machines, 9 mobile phones, 6 x 25litres jerrican of PMS, bag of grains, motorcycle accessories, foodstuff, 1 baofeng radio and the sum of N10,660.00 only as well as other sundry items.
“Precisely, on the 20 October 2022, troops in conjunction with Department of State Security personnel and Civilian Joint Task Force made contact with Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province terrorists in Buduwa and Banki villages in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State and neutralized 1 terrorist while other fled with gunshot injuries.
“Also, one terrorist surrendered to own troops and handover 1 AK47 rifle, 5 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 1 baofeng radio, 2 mobile phones, 1 camel pack amongst other items. On the same day, 2 suspected Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province terrorists were arrested in Damaturu, Yobe State. Also, in the same camp, a known terrorist Mr Lawan Yashin who attempted to escape upon sighting troops was neutralized.
“During the period in focus, a total of 145 Boko Haram Terrorists and their families comprising 30 adult males, 33 adult females and 82 children surrendered to troops at different locations within the North East theatre of operation,” Major-General Danmadami said.
In the North Central Zone of the country, he said the troops sustained the onslaught against terrorists and other criminal elements in their general area of operation which yielded tremendous success, noting that in a coordinated operation between the land component and the air component, troops repelled an attack by the Boko Haram Terrorist/Islamic State of West Africa State Province(ISWAP) terrorists at Wawa Cantonment in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
