By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Armed Forces of Nigeria continued it’s aggressive operations across the country, killing 49 persons involved in terrorism, banditry and criminality.
Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO) Brig.-Gen Benard Onyeuko disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday while briefing journalists on the update of military operations across the country.
He said that 1,186 of Boko Haram terrorists and their families comprising 226 adult males, 406 adult females and 555 children surrendered to troops of Operation Hadin Kai at different locations in the North-east in the last two weeks.
Seventy-one (71) others were arrested including 2 women logistics suppliers Mrs Aisha Umar 19 years with a child of (2 years) and Mrs Kaltumi Bakura 20 years all resident at IDP camp in Bama.
He said troops also recued 97 kidnapped civilians and recovered 122 assorted weapons.
The Director said troops ofOperation Delta Safe conducting land, maritime and air operations, to forestall activities of economic saboteurs and other criminal elements in the South-south zone, have discovered and demobilised over 20 illegal refining sites, 62 ovens, 12 cooking pots/boilers, 8 cooling systems, 19 reservoirs, 18 large dugout pits and 88 storage tanks.
He said, “Cumulatively, troops discovered and immobilized a total of 20 illegal refining sites. Additionally, 8 criminal elements, including 2 impostors were arrested and 7 arms and 3 rounds of ammunition, among other items, were recovered in the course of the operations in the Zone.
“Additionally, troops rescued 13 kidnapped civilians within the period. Consequently, a total of one million, two hundred and three thousand, two hundred and fifty litres (1,252,250ltrs) of illegally refined AGO and one million, one hundred and thirty-eight thousand, three hundred and forty litres (1,140,340ltrs) of stolen crude were recovered in the course of the operations.
“Furthermore, troops neutralized 3 armed robbers and rescued 2 kidnapped civilians; while 5 criminal elements associated with pipeline vandalism, piracy, illegal oil bunkering and armed robbery were arrested within the period.”
He said both kinetic and non-kinetic efforts of Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) and other security agencies in the fight against criminalities across the country is achieving significant results, saying the military will not relent nor rest on its oars in the fight against criminalities in all parts of the country.
