The Military High Command on Friday reassured the nation that the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) and other security agencies are combating terrorism and other forms of insecurity across the operational theatres in the country to make the country safe for all.
This was contained in a statement made available to Defence Correspondents in Abuja by Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, regarding ongoing military operations against insurgency activities in various theaters of operations in the six geo-political zones of the country as of Friday, July 5.
According to him, “Our role in the ongoing war is clear, and we are increasingly making progress.
“During the week under review, troops neutralized 177 and arrested 263 persons. Troops also arrested 41 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 158 kidnapped hostages.
“In the South-South, troops prevented oil theft amounting to an estimated sum of Five Hundred and One Million Eighty-Nine Thousand Four Hundred Naira (N501,089,400.00).
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“Furthermore, troops recovered 170 assorted weapons and 4,692 assorted ammunition.
“The breakdown is as follows: 6 PKT guns, 63 AK-47 rifles, 3 FN rifles, one SMG rifle, 29 locally fabricated guns, 37 dane guns, 20 pump-action guns, one short double-barrel gun, 2 double-barrel guns, 2 single-barrel guns, one locally made single barrel, 6 locally fabricated pistols, 4 bandoliers, RPG bombs, an RPG charger, 2 primed IEDs and materials.
“Other items include: 2,100 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 1,239 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 419 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 212 rounds of 5.56 x 54mm ammo, 722 live cartridges, 13 empty cases of 7.62mm ammo, 74 AK-47 magazines, 2 FN magazines, 6 Baofeng radios, 17 vehicles, 43 motorcycles, 31 mobile phones, and the sum of N2,149,700.00 amongst other items.
He further explained that the troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 20 dugout pits, 32 boats, and 32 storage tanks.
He added that “other items recovered include 58 cooking ovens, 17 vehicles, one pumping machine, 5 mobile phones, and 49 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 1,007,115 liters of stolen crude oil and 141,664 liters of illegally refined AGO.”
General Buba declared that the troops “are taking the fight to the terrorists and making significant strides each passing day,” and said, “much is being done to address the nation’s security challenges and safeguard citizens.”