By Joy Odor
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Friday confirmed the neutralization of 253 and arrest of 172 persons by Nigerian military during the ongoing military operations.
This is even as the troops also arrested 15 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 206 kidnapped hostages while troops recovered 251 assorted weapons and 4,113 assorted ammunition.
The Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Major General Edward Buba disclosed this in a press statement made available to newsmen in Abuja.
According to him, in the South South (SS), troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of One Billion Seventy Three Million Eight Hundred and Twenty Nine Thousand Five Hundred Naira (N1,073,829,500.00) only.
The breakdown, he said are as follows: one GPMG, 118 AK47 rifles, 54 locally fabricated gun, 47 dane guns, 6 pump action guns, 2 locally fabricated pump action guns, 5 double barrel guns, 4 single barrel guns, 4 locally fabricated pistol, 4 IED, 60mm mortar tube, 2 AK butts, MRAP and one bandolier.
Others are: 2,047 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 942 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 98 rounds of 9mm ammo, 342 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 334 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm, 252 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm, 110 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ball, 299 live cartridges, 32 magazines, 2 baofeng radios, 2 KYD radios, 8 vehicles, 41 motorcycles, 27 bicycles, 41 mobile phones and the sum of N74,702,320.00 only amongst other items.
The DDMO maintained that the troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 22 dugout pits, 37 boats, 70 drums, 4 receiver, 4 reservoirs and 29 storage tanks.
Other items recovered include 215 cooking ovens, 13 vehicles, 4 wheelbarrows, one tricycle, one motorcycle, 5 mobile phones, one speedboat, 2 KYD radios, 2 outboard engines and 75 illegal refining sites.
Troops recovered 1,047,050 litres of stolen crude oil and 205,550 litres of illegally refined AGO.
Maj Gen Buba affirmed that the armed forces remains steadfast in its role as an element of national power utilised to protect and project the national interest of the nation.
Accordingly, ongoing operations across the country are in support of national security interest.
The operations across the country are a testament of the tireless effort of the military to prevent anarchy, unrest and national security destabilization.
For these reasons, the armed forces is deserving of the pride of place as the nations symbol of national unity and resilience.
Based on the foregoing, it is instructive for citizens to extend utmost respect for their armed forces, rather than degraded the institution.
It would be counterproductive and amounts to self sabotage to do otherwise.
