The Nigeria troops have held peace and security meetings with critical stakeholders as non-kinetic means of tackling insecurity facing the country.
The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Bernard Onyeuko disclosed this during the bi-weekly news briefing in Abuja, said the meeting was held between 25th November and 9th December, 2021.
General Onyeuko noted that issues discussed at the meeting centered on how to find lasting solutions to the security challenges in Nigeria.
He said that one of these meetings was held at the Force Headquarters of Operation Whirl Stroke in Makurdi, North Central Nigeria.
According to him, troops’ operational efforts resulted also in the neutralisation and arrest of armed bandits and other criminal elements, recovery of arms and ammunition as well as rescue of kidnapped civilians.
Cumulatively, a total of 5 criminals were neutralized and 19 of them arrested, while 15 different arms and 62 different caliber of ammunition were recovered and 3 kidnapped civilians rescued within the period under review.
The Director noted that troops of Operation Thunder strike/Whirl Punch in the course of the operations within the period intercepted and arrested criminal elements as well as recovered arms and ammunition.
Notably, on 3 December 2021, troops arrested a notorious armed bandit at Paka community in Igabi LGA of Kaduna State, who revealed that the Head of vigilantes in Rigasa aids armed banditry and is involved in some attacks and kidnap incidents in the environment.
Onyeuko said that “in Operation Delta Safe, troops sustained anti-illegal oil production operations and other non-kinetic operations to forestall activities of vandals and other economic saboteurs in the South – South Zone”.
According to him, some of these operations were executed by the troops at different locations in villages, creeks and towns in Port Harcourt which also yielded significant results.
The Acting Director also said that “troops of Operation Hadin Kai, within the last 2 weeks recorded significant results in the various operations they carried out troops repelled BHT/ISWAP terrorists’ attack in a fierce gun battle Kala Balge LGA of Borno State”.
He noted that during the encounter, troops subdued the terrorist elements with superior firepower and neutralized no fewer than 26 of them and also captured several fighting equipment and vehicles of the terrorists.
Regrettably, their gallant officers and soldiers paid the supreme prize.
Cumulatively, a total 62 terrorist elements were neutralized and 28 of them were arrested, while 54 assorted arms and 144 rounds of different calibre of ammunitions were recovered.
General Onyeuko added that troops of Operation Hadarin Daji sustained its clearance operations within the last 2 weeks against armed bandits which some of them were neutralized as well as arms and ammunitions recovered.
Also, 17 assorted arms, including AK-47 rifles, PKT machine guns and GPMGs as well as 625rounds of different calibers of ammunition and 43 rustled livestock were recovered; while 8 kidnapped civilians were rescued in the course of the operations.
Additionally, “54 extra magazines of assorted arms and 20 motorcycles were recovered from bandits”, he said.
The Military High Command has commended the sacrifices of its troops in the various theaters of operation and salutes their courage and resilience towards achieving sustainable peace in the country.
Dominica Nwabufo
