The Military High Command has said, it has uncovered plans by criminal elements to attack critical infrastructure of the country, and has emplaced measures to forestall such attacks.
While addressing journalists on ongoing military operations across the country at the Defence Headquarters on Thursday, Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, disclosed that security agencies responsible for securing critical infrastructure and facilities have been placed on alert, even as some of such plans have been frustrated.
“In this fight, citizens must understand that, we must never compromise on security, otherwise everyone’s security will be compromised. This is a situation that cannot be
overemphasized for us to live in safety and security”, he said.
Buba averred that the military is keeping up the pressure through ongoing operations in five active theatres across the country, namely, the NE, NW, NC, SS and SE, with the NE and NW having the highest levels of intensity.
“These operations are complex as troops are engaged in fighting in difficult terrains as well as fighting adversaries that adopt various forms, across the country. Clearly, we have boots on the ground and are fighting in several dimensions to crush the enemy”, he stated.
Buba, while reviewing military operations conducted during the week, said troops neutralised 187 and arrested 183 persons. They also arrested 26 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 109 kidnapped hostages.
In the SS, he revealed, troops denied the oil theft of an estimated sum of One Billion One Hundred and Twenty Seven Million Two Hundred and Twenty Nine Thousand Eight Hundred and Ninty Naira (N1,127,229,890.00) only.
Furthermore, troops recovered 128 assorted weapons and 3,300 assorted ammunition, with a breakdown as follows: PKT gun, 80 AK-47 1 rifles, 15 locally fabricated guns, 15 dane guns, 2 FN rifles, 5 pump action guns, 2 single barrel guns, 4 locally fabricated pistols, one fabricated barretta pistol, one locally made double barrel gun, 2 hand grenades, 2 primed IEDs and materials.
Others are: 1,941 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 729 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 377 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 191 rounds of 5.55mm ammo, 199 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammo, 16 rounds of 9mm ammo, 26 live cartridges, 26 empty case of cartridges, 26 AK47 magazines, 6 baofeng radios, 10 vehicles, 4 motorcycles, 4 walkie-talkie, mobile phones and the sum of N102,010.00 only amongst other items.
In the Niger Delta area, troops discovered and destroyed 18 dugout pits, 30 boats and 49 storage tanks. Other items recovered include 66 cooking ovens, 4 drums, 5 speedboats, 15 vehicles, 2 tricycles, one generator, 11 mobile phones and 57 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 1,l25,440 litres of stolen crude oil, 213,539 litres of illegally refined AGO and 1,230 litres of PMS.
He said that troops are confronted by a vicious enemy that is constantly trying to kill citizens or have killed citizens. Indeed, these terror groups are responsible for perpetrating insecurity across the country and will not stop doing what the are doing, until they are stopped.
The director assured that the military is doing what is needed at this time, forcing the terrorists to pay a price for every act of aggression against citizens of this country.
