By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
The military high command says its personnel have denied the country’s economic saboteurs the sum of N705,836,036.00 in its sustained momentum of finding and destroying illegal refining sites in the month of May.
Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, made this known during a press briefing at the Defense Headquarters on Thursday.
According to him, a breakdown of the said sum reveals that troops of Operation DELTA SAFE denied the oil theft of 4,124,970 litres of crude oil, 793,796 litres of AGO and 4,480 litres of PMS.
Furthermore, troops recovered 73 assorted weapons and destroyed 129 wooden boats, 686 assorted ammunitions and 223 illegal refining sites.
The Air component of Operation DELTA SAFE acquired and destroyed illegal refining sites in Degema LGA of Rivers State.
In his briefing, Maj. Gen. Buba mentioned that the cumulative efforts of various theatres of operation across the country during the period under review resulted in the elimination of 624 terrorists, the arrest of 1,051 of them including their logistic suppliers and informants, while 563 hostages were rescued. Additionally, troops recovered 707 assorted weapons and16,487 assorted ammunitions.
The progress made, Buba said, is the consequence of the cumulative effort of killing the terrorist leaders, commanders and combatants, as well as taking away their most important assets such as logistics, administrative and fighting capabilities, which ‘all combine to destroy the will to fight of the terrorist and their cohorts”.
He noted that troops recorded 1,099 surrendered BH/ISWAP terrorists combatants and their families.
“Troops have continued to receive tremendous institutional support and are receiving increasing popular support in the conduct of operations. Indeed, the level of troops’ stamina and commitment to completely destroying the terrorists remains unwavering”, he said.
