The Directorate of Defence Media Operations says troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have witness mass surrender of terrorists in Borno State.
This comes as the troops continue in their unrelenting efforts at restoring peace in trouble zones of the country.
The Director, Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Bernard Onyeuku stated this at the bi-weekly briefing on the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s operational activities across all theatre commands.
In the briefing covering between 29 July to 12 August 2021, General Onyeuku said ”the troops of OPERATION HADIN KAI during Operations at Kayamri and Mairari villages as well as Monguno and Kukawa Towns, all in Borno State neutralised a total of 27 Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (BHT/ISWAP) fighters, and arrested 51 of the terrorists while 3 terrorists’ collaborators were also arrested.”
The troops recovered “35 assorted arms and 1,051 round of ammunition including AK-47 and FN rifles, Dushka anti-aircraft guns, GPMG, PKT guns, 60mm mortar tubes, Makarov pistol and other machine guns, amongst other items.
Twenty-nine abducted civilians were rescued, no fewer than 1,000 terrorists and their families comprising adult females and children surrendered to own troops at different locations in the North East. Notable among them are the notorious BHT bomb expert named, Musa Adamu aka Mala Musa Abuja and his deputy, Usman Adamu aka Abu Darda which has depleted the BHT fighting force” General Onyeuku said.
Response to distress calls
Also the troops of OPERATION HADARIN DAJI in response to distress calls on various criminal activities in Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina States repelled the criminals, rescued farmers and kidnapped victims as well as recovered arms, ammunition and some livestock, as well as carried out arrest of some criminal elements.
According to the Acting Director, ”a total of 89 livestock, 5 AK-47 rifles, 3 rounds of 9mm ball and 48 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition were recovered and 4 kidnap victims rescued.”
He said; “Also 2 notorious cattle rustlers named, Mallam Buda Umar from Niger Republic and Mai Hatsi Ibrahim from Gada LGA of Sokoto State as well as 4 armed bandits and drug peddlers were arrested.
”Furthermore, between 2 and 6 August 2021, the Air Component of Operation HADARIN DAJI, carried out intensive air strikes on bandits’ hideouts at the South of Dansadau Town; North of Kwiambana Forest Reserves as well as North of Sububu Forest and Dudufi village under Faru District in Maradun LGA, all in Zamfara State. The air strikes resulted in the destruction of bandits’ structures including the residence of one of their leaders, Halilu Tubali, in which the armed bandits converged for a meeting. The air strikes in conjunction with ground troops’ assaults resulted in the neutralization of no fewer than 123 armed bandits and destruction of their logistics facilities in the process.”
The troops of OPERATION SAFE HAVEN rescued 2 Fulani herdsmen at Mararaban Tifa Town, as well as 2 kidnapped victims at Ungwan Ayaba District in Nasarawa State.
Troops of OPERATION WHIRL STROKE during operations at Nwokporo Agbagedo Community in Ado LGA, Zaki Biam in Ukum LGA of Benue State and Lau – Jalingo Road, Taraba State destroyed bandits’ hideouts, arrested 8 armed bandits including their informants and rescued kidnap victims.
The troops during the operations recovered 6 AK-47 rifles, one SMG, 2 pistols, 66 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition among other items.
Similarly, Troops of OPERATION THUNDER STRIKE/WHIRL PUNCH while carrying out various operations in Kaduna and Niger States arrested one Zubairu Shehu at Toll Gate Area in Kakau village as well as one Shehu Yahaya, who runs errands for and provides logistics supplies to bandits at Sabon Gayan village in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.
Also the troops of OPERATION DELTA SAFE during conduct of series of anti-illegal oil operations in the South-South Zone of the Country “at Orutoru area in Bayelsa State; Olutoro and Adamakiri villages in Bonny LGA, Udeyeada Community in Andoni LGA of Rivers State; and Opuebubor Creek in Warri South LGA of Delta State, discovered and deactivation of several illegal refining sites with a total of 21 ovens, 12 dugout pits and 58 metal storage tanks laden with a total of 2.329 million litres of illegally refined AGO and 2.19 million litres of stolen crude oils as well as 2 boilers and 750 bags of illegally refined oil products.
During the operations, own troops also recovered one speed boat, one AK-47 rifle, one FN rifle, 3 Smoke gun rifles, 12 fabricated RPGs, 263 live cartridges, 20 rounds of 7.62mm NATO and 7.62mm special ammunition among other items.
Secessionists activities
General Onyeuku said that Security forces within the period under review ambushed and neutralised 6 IPOB/ESN members, who were involved in the killing of a District Police Officer (DPO) at Omuma Town in Orlu East LGA of Imo State and arrested 3.
”While following up on intelligence report, the troops arrested “one notorious IPOB/ESN member named Obumneke Gabriel at Umueli Amaraku Town in Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo State. The criminal was in possession of arms and ammunition during the arrest. Relatedly, troops raided IPOB/ESN members’ hideout at Amaechi Idodo community in Nkanu LGA of Enugu State and Nguzu Edda in Afikpo South LGA of Ebonyi State.
During the operations one ESN commander was neutralised and another apprehended. Cumulatively, a total of 6 IPOB/ESN members were neutralised and 13 criminal elements arrested by own troops and other security forces operating in the Zone within the period. Troops also recovered a total of 19 AK-47 rifles, 2 single barrel Dane guns, one G3 assault rifle and 3 locally-made pistols. Other items recovered were 30 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 3 daggers, and one locally-made double barrel pistol loaded with 10 rounds of cartridges were recovered in the course of the operations,” General Onyeuku explained,
The Defence headquarters assured the public that the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies have and will continued to remain committed to fight all forms of criminality until sustainable peace is achieved in the Country.
The Military High Command expressed appreciation to the troops for their enormous sacrifices in the various theatres of operations across the Country.
It called for more support from the general public to provide credible and timely information that will facilitate proactive engagements in all the theaters of operation.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
