*Blame locals for hosting themKill 481 bandits, declare 9 wanted
By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Armed Forces of Nigerian on Thursday said it has identified a new terror group operating in Kebbi and Sokoto States.
Director, of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba disclosed this during the biweekly press briefing on ongoing military operations.
He said the terror group is reportedly affiliated with jihadi factions in Mali and Niger.
He linked their emergence to political instability in Mali and Niger, which has fueled the spread of extremist elements into Nigeria.
Buba also blamed locals in Sokoto for accommodating the new group for sometime instead of reporting their presence to the appropriate authorities.
He declared 9 persons wanted for terrorism, violent extremism against the state in the North East.
They are ABU KHADIJAH, ABDURRAHMA, DADI GUMBA (ABU MUHAMME, ABU YUSUF, MUSA WA’A, USMAN KANIN SHEHU, IBRAHIM SUYEKA, BA SULHU, IDRIS TAKLAKSE.
The wanted persons, terrorists/ bandits and insurgents commanders are from the North-East zone.
He also disclosed that in October 2024, troops neutralized 481 terrorists, arrested 741 persons, rescued 492 kidnapped hostages, recovered 480 weapons, 9,026 assorted ammunition while denying the oil theft of an estimated sum of close to #4 bn (N3,896,400.960.00) only.
According to him, the breakdown for the month of October includes and is not limited to the following: 263 AK47 rifles, 81 locally fabricated guns, 91 dane guns, 76 pump action guns, 5,683 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 1,944 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 642 cartridges, 160 assorted arms and 1,526 assorted ammunition. Others are 3,226,645 litres of stolen crude oil, 763,860 litres of illegally refined AGO and 12,690 litres of PMS amongst other items.
The DDMO maintained that the Airforce also carried out bombardments and air interdiction on these terrorist hideouts and enclaves with precision, thereby diminishing the fighting capabilities of these terrorists, noting that the terrorist knows that they cannot match the military strength as the options open to them is to surrender or be killed in the battlefield.
