Troops of Operation Safe Haven have rescued 66 kidnapped civilians in North Central Nigeria.
The Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Musa Danmadami disclosed this during Bi-Weekly News Briefly saying that the briefing covered 12th to 26th January, in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
General Danmadami said that “based on credible intelligence, troops embarked on stop and search mission and arrested 2 gunrunners at Sabon Layi village in Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State”.
According to him, items recovered from the suspects include; 5 AK47 rifles with magazines, 1 RPG 7 tube, 4 RPG 7 bombs, 4 RPG 7 chargers, 1 barreta pistol and 2 cell phones.
Equally, troops of Guards Brigades with Civilians Joint Task Force conducted fighting patrols to bandits’ hideout at Idu Chinkara in Kogi State and made contact with the criminals.
He noted that troops engaged criminals and neutralized 2 bandits.
He said that “troops exploited criminals’ hideout and recovered one RPG tube as well as troops responded to information on meeting engagement between local vigilantes and bandits around the adjourning forest near Daga and Izam villages in Gurara Local Government Area boarding Federal Capital Territory and Niger State, the bandits fled before troops arrival. Troops with vigilantes exploited further and arrested 11 suspected bandits as well as recovered 1 AK47 rifle.”
Equally, on 22 January 2023, based on credible intelligence, troops raided criminals hideout at Njuu and Waku village in Logo and Guma Local Government Areas of Benue State and made contact with terrorist. Following a fierce fight, 3 terrorists were neutralised.
He said that “troops recovered 8 dane guns, 2 AK47 rifles, 1 pistol, 3 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 112 rounds of 7.62mm special, 20 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, 1 galil rifle, 1 magazine, 3 ATM cards and then sum of N69,000.00″.
He said troops also arrested 5 terrorists and rescued 8 civilians.
Consequently, within the weeks in review, troops neutralized 7 terrorists arrested 2 suspected gunrunners and 19 terrorists as well as rescued 36 kidnapped victims.
Troops also recovered 8 AK47 rifles, 2 RPG tube, 4 RPG 7 bombs, 4 RPG 7 chargers and 2 pistol, 8 dane guns, 3 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 112 rounds of 7.62mm special and 20 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition.
Lateefah Ibrahim
