The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has declared that sustained military operations across the country are yielding significant gains, with increasing pressure on terrorist and criminal networks forcing more hostile elements to surrender and weakening their operational capabilities.
The assertion, made on Monday during a press briefing with defence journalists at the Defence Quarters in Abuja, followed the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s (AFN) strong operational performance in August, during which 324 terrorists and criminals were neutralised, 373 arrested and 610 kidnap victims rescued. The military also recorded the surrender of 201 insurgents, alongside the recovery of 88 arms and 2,077 rounds of ammunition.
The DHQ said the August figures represented a significant recovery from the decline recorded in July. The number of terrorists and criminals neutralised rose by 217.6 per cent, while civilians rescued increased by 55.2 per cent. Most strikingly, insurgent surrenders climbed from 11 in June to 57 in July and 201 in August, which the military said indicated growing pressure on hostile elements and a possible willingness by some to abandon terrorism.
The Armed Forces also intensified operations against economic saboteurs, recovering 686,800 litres of stolen crude oil products and destroying 21 illegal refining sites during the month. Crude oil recovery, which fell by 18.8 per cent in July, surged by 174.2 per cent in August.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, commended troops for their gallantry, discipline, resilience and sacrifices in rescuing abducted citizens, degrading terrorist and criminal networks, disrupting illegal oil bunkering and protecting critical national assets. He also praised the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, local security groups and other stakeholders for the operational synergy contributing to the gains.
Oluyede further appealed to Nigerians to sustain their support for the Armed Forces by providing timely and credible information to the nearest military formation or through the toll-free 193, assuring that all information would be treated with utmost confidentiality. He pledged that the AFN would sustain the current operational tempo until peace, stability and security are firmly consolidated across the country.
