By ZAKAA LAZARUS-Abuja.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), has said it’s troops in various operations across the country has neutralised 192 terrorists and arrested 341 persons and also rescued 62 kidnapped hostages.
The military high command also revealed that total of 122 ISWAP/JAS combatant terrorist has surrendered with their family members.
Director, Defence Media Operation DDMO, Major General Edward Buba made this known to Defence correspondent during the bi-weekly press briefing on Thursday in Abuja.
According to him, “troops also arrested 37 perpetrators of oil theft. In the South South, troops denied oil theft of the estimated sum of Eight Hundred and Twenty One Million Two Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Naira (N821,248,740.00) only.
General Buba said, troops also recovered 211 assorted weapons and 6,288 assorted ammunition.
” The breakdown as follows: 128 AK47 rifles, 26 dane guns among other items. Others are: 1,301 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 3,260 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 1,325 live cartridges, 140 round of 9mm ammo among other items.
“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 99 dugout pits, 36 storage tanks and 192 cooking ovens. During the process the troops recovered 349,970 litres of stolen crude oil, 112,135 litres of illegally refined AGO, 7,560 litres of DPK and 13,000 litres of PMS.
According to Buba, “The military recognises that there is still a challenging and tough war campaign still ahead .
” Overall, our objective is to defeat the terrorist and their cohorts by denying them the ability to continue to fight.
” The lifeline of these terrorist groups is the people. Winning the war without the support of the people is close to impossible.
“It is for this reason, we encourage the civil populace and civil societies to galvanise support in a whole of society approach to facilitate the total defeat of these terrorist.
“The time is now for citizens to know that they have a responsible to the nation. For instance, a cursory look at our security situation shows that it is unique, in the sense of being self inflicted. Beginning with the Boko Haram Terrorist in the North East. The illegal mining and kidnapping enterprise in the NW and NC, these are perpetrated under the guise of terrorism.
“The agitation of IPOB in the South East have proven to be for self engrandisement. Then, the call for a Yoruba Nation which is laughable. All these buttress how our security situation is self inflicted in the country.
“These acts are against the constitution and therefore unacceptable for persons or groups to take up arms against a constituted govrrnment.
” Anyone or group that contravenes this provision of the constitution is inviting severe military action and would be dealth with decisively.” General Buba warned.
