The Nigerian Air Force says it will continue to dominate the Airspace within their theatres and provides close air support for ground troops during their operations.
The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Bernard Onyeuko disclosed this during the bi-weekly news briefing in Abuja, saying the update is from 2nd to 14th July, 2021.
General Onyeuko said the Armed Forces have intensified intelligence surveillance reconnaissance operations in all theatres of their operations to frustrate the movement of arms and ammunition as well as other unlawful items used by the criminal using various NAF platforms.
According to him, ”troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI sustained the onslaught against armed bandits and other criminal elements in the North West Zone of the Country.”
He noted that the Land and Air operations were conducted simultaneously at different locations in Zamfara, Katsina, Niger and Kaduna States within the period which include ambush operations against armed bandits’ at Galadi village in Zamfara State as well as stop and search operations along Isa –Shinkafi Road in Zamfara State; Sheme – RuwanGodiya Road and GurbinBaure, border between Katsina and Zamfara States.
“Also, troops responded to distress call of bandits’ attack at Sabon Garin Yankara, in which troops swiftly mobilised to the location and repelled the attack. Additionally, troops conducted clearance and cordon and search operations at Chabi village under Marabu District in Maru LGA of Zamfara State as well as at JarkukaYangayya, Mazaya and Buku villages in Jibia LGA of Katsina State,” General Onyeuko said.
OPERATION HADIN KAI
The Acting Director said troops of Operation HADIN KAI intensified the onslaught on BHT/ISWAP terrorists within the theatre. Within the period, several operations were conducted, which degraded the operational capabilities of the BHT/ISWAP criminal elements and denied them freedom of action in the North East Zone.
According to him, ”these operations considerable successes as while on clearance and fighting patrols, troops contacted and engaged some BHT criminal elements with superior firepower and subdued them at Daushe Village along Ngoshe – Ashigashiya Road as well as Yarchida and Wurrajabbe general areas.”
In the same vein, he said; “troop’s repelled BHT/ISWAP attack on security operatives between Jakana and Auno and forced the terrorists to flee in disarray. During the encounters, scores of the terrorists were neutralized and large caches of arms and ammunition, includingAK-47 rifles, RPG guns and bags of assorted rounds of ammunition as well as other equipment, gun trucks and vehicles were recovered.”
OPERATION SAFE HAVEN
General Onyeuko noted that troops of Operation SAFE HAVEN within the period executed several concurrent kinetic and non-kinetic operations in Plateau and Kaduna States.
These include response to distress calls on farmers/herders clashes at Maraban Dare andGero Villages in Jos South LGA; Babujeand Shen Villages in Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau State as well as Zaman-Dabo and Zonzon Districts in Zangon Kataf LGA of Kaduna State.
General Onyeuko said; “during the encounters, troops successfully ensured amicable settlements between farmers and herders as well as stopped herders from grazing and destroying farmlands at different locations”.
He stated that within the period, “troops carried out raid operations on drug peddlers’ and cultists’ hideouts at Forbur Village in Jos East LGA and Shen Village in Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau State added that several of the drug peddlers and cultists terrorizing the areas were arrested along with large quantities of cannabis sativa and other illicit drugs”.
OPERATION WHIRL STROKE
General Onyeuko said the operational engagements of troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE within same period undertook kinetic and non-kinetic operations, which were simultaneously conducted in Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa States.
According to him, troops on 2nd and 3rd July responded to distress calls on kidnapping and armed robbery incidents along Kente – Chinkai Road in Wukari LGA of Taraba State and along Katsina-Ala – Tukum Road, some perpetrated by the Azonto’s militia group.
He said “several of the victims were rescued, while some of the kidnappers, including an armed robbers’ informant were arrested during the encounters.”
General Onyeuko explained that the troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE also carried out non-kinetic engagements in form of security and peace meetings with critical stakeholders at LufuJoro Community Primary School, Tukum and Udege Development Area in Nasarawa LGA, and youths of both the Tivs of Katsina-Ala LGA and Fulanis of Takum LGA of Benue and Taraba States.
OPERATION WHIRL PUNCH/THUNDER STRIKE
He noted that troops of Operation WHIRL PUNCH/THUNDER STRIKE have continued to sustain their operational tempo in the North West Zone of the Country.
He said; “troops while on stop and search operation at Barde check point between Jama’a LGA and Wasa in Sanga LGA of Kaduna State intercepted a trailer loaded with railway clips and tracks vandalized from Wasa Village in Sanga LGA. Troops apprehended Abdullahi Bello, Ibrahim Jafar and Mohammed Yakubu in the process and handed them over to appropriate prosecuting agency for further necessary action”.
OPERATION DELTA SAFE
According to him, troops of Operation DELTA SAFE executed several operations against economic saboteurs and other criminal elements within the theatre of operations. Series of anti-crude oil theft, anti-illegal bunkering and anti-illegal oil refining as well as anti-smuggling and anti-militancy operations were conducted, at Egelebie – Jumbo Area in Rivers State, where an illegal refining site was deactivated and several metal storage tanks laden with large quantities of stolen crude oil were recovered.
Also at Port Harcourt Tourists’ Beach, Borokiri in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where troops intercepted and arrested some smugglers along with several trucks, hoses and pumps used in moving illegally refined oil products. Similarly, troops recovered large quantity of illegally refined DPK products in a compound at Macoba area in Rivers State.
OPERATION AWATSE
General Onyeuko also stated that troops of Operation AWATSE within the period in focus sustained their operational engagements on anti-crude oil theft, anti-illegal refining and anti-smuggling operations as well as conducted clearance and stop and search operations within the South West Zone.
He noted that these operations were conducted at Tomaron Community at Corner Loss Axis in the Atlas Cove NNPC Terminal, Lagos State. During the operations, troops arrested some illegal oil bunkerers and recovered large quantities of 50 liters jerry cans filled with PMS siphoned from the NNPC pipeline.
Additionally, troops while on patrol within the period discovered and impounded large quantities of PMS and other petroleum products in sacks as well as in 50 liters jerry cans Village and Ashipa Beach along Badagry – Seme Shoreline in Badagry West LGA of Lagos State as well as atIgbokoda area in Ondo State.
Meanwhile, the Military High Command has lauded the efforts of the troops for their resilience and unrelenting commitment towards their duties.
The Military High Command further encouraged the general public to support their efforts by providing credible and timely information that would facilitate their proactive engagements.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
