The Defence Headquarters has said that ongoing military operations have led to the denial to economic saboteurs of the sum of N618,756,470 in crude oil theft.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, stated this on Friday, while updating on the activities of the military in various theatres of operation across the country as at 9th January 2025.
Additionally, he said, troops arrested 6 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 43 kidnapped hostages.
During the week under review, troops neutralised 109 and arrested 81 persons.
They recovered 21 assorted weapons and 124 assorted ammunition, with a breakdown as follows: 9 AK-47 rifles, 5 fabricated rifles, 4 dane guns, 3 locally made pistols, 7 magazines, 97 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 22 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 5 live cartridges, 3 baofeng radios, 4 vehicles, 6 motorcycles and 4 mobile phones amongst other items.
In the Niger Delta area, troops discovered and destroyed 10 crude oil cooking ovens, 10 dugout pits, 12 boats, 4 storage tanks and 10 illegal refining sites. Other items recovered include 3 pumping machines, 12 speedboats, 20 drums, 2 motorcycles, one mobile phone and 4 vehicles among others. Troops recovered 631,709 litres of stolen crude oil, 3,140 litres of illegally refined AGO and 2,250 litres of PMS.
Buba reiterated that the armed forces remains focussed and is continuing its counter-insurgency campaign against terrorists and their cohorts operating across the country.
“Troops are sustaining the winning ways of ongoing operational engagements. Accordingly, citizens will continue to witness the incremental effectiveness and efficiency of the armed forces”, he said.
