Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Defence Headquarters on Thursday acknowledged the recent operational setbacks that the security forces suffered in the course of battling myriad of internal security, but assured that the military would not relent on the “arduous task of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians”.
The Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Bernard Onyeuko stated this during the bi-weekly media briefing on the operations of the Armed Forces of Nigeria at the Defence Headquarters.
He said the setbacks, especially in the North Central, have not dimmed the light on the huge gains and success achieved by own troops in other theatres of operation especially in the North East, North West and South South.
He said that OPERATION HADIN KAI in the last 2 weeks neutralized scores of terrorist arrests, 22 terrorist spies, 11 terrorists, 3 logistics suppliers, rescued 30 civilians.
He said “of significant is the surrendered of a high-profile terrorist, Commander Sale Mustapha (Ibin Kathir) to own troops in Bama. He was the Qaid of Garin Ba-Abba.
“While a total of 51,114 Boko Haram Terrorist and families surrendered to troops comprising of 11,398 men, 15,381 women, 24,335 children as at 5 April 2022.
In OPERATION THUNDER STRIKE, the Director said that 34 terrorists were neutralized while 14 locally fabricated guns and 17 motorcycles were recovered. “Also, on 31 March 2022 a large concentration of terrorist were sighted around Kusasu after deliberate air surveillance and air interdiction was carried no fewer than 33 terrorists were neutralized according to eyewitness account.”
