The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has disclosed that Nigerian troops eliminated 6,260 terrorists during joint military operations conducted across the country over the past two years.
Deputy Director of Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Ibrahim Abu-Mawashi, who made the revelation on Thursday during an expanded parley with media executives in Abuja, organized to mark the second anniversary of General Christopher Musa’s appointment as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), along with other service chiefs.
According to Abu-Mawashi the armed forces also apprehended 14,138 insurgents and other criminals and rescued 5,365 kidnapped victims, recovering a significant cache of arms and ammunition during the same period.
Highlighting troops’ operation by geopolitical regions, Abu-Maeashi gave the following details:
In the South-South, troops of OPERATION DELTA SAFE, recovered crude oil and products worth approximately ₦83 billion. In addition, 103 criminals were neutralized, 2,760 suspects arrested, and 266 kidnapped civilians rescued.
In the North-East, military efforts by troops of OPERATION HADIN KAI led to the killing of 1,246 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, while 2,467 were apprehended. Troops also rescued 1,920 civilians, recovered 982 firearms, and 2,153 rounds of ammunition.
Furthermore, troops of OPERATION FANSAN YANMA, dominating in the Northwestern geopolitical zone eliminated 1,374 bandits, including top commanders, across Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, and Sokoto States. Additionally, 2,160 suspects were arrested and 3,288 hostages freed. Weapons recovered included 947 firearms and 25,802 rounds of ammunition.
In the North-Central, a total of 730 terrorists and bandits were killed, while 7,153 violent extremists were captured. Troops rescued 1,510 civilians and seized 1,065 weapons along with 19,709 rounds of ammunition.
In the South-East, troops of OPERATION UDO KA
neutralized 440 terrorists and arrested 1,677 suspects. They also rescued 294 civilians and recovered 683 weapons and 21,300 rounds of ammunition, while in the South-West, military operations by the Joint Task Force resulted in the killing of 80 criminals and the arrest of 1,763 others. Troops rescued 89 kidnap victims and recovered 143 weapons and an impressive 177,904 rounds of ammunition.
While describing the event as a milestone in the armed forces’ commitment to addressing Nigeria’s complex security challenges, the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, emphasized that the parley reflects one of the leadership tenets of the CDS, which is, building a people-centric military institution.
He reaffirmed the military’s resolve to keep the public well-informed on the activities, sacrifices, and successes of the armed forces.
