By Joy Odor
The Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Major General Edward Buba has on Friday disclosed that the Nigeria military has eliminated five IPOB/ ESN terrorist leaders and arrested a notorious terrorist commander identified as Usman Maisaje.
The DDMO who made the disclosure to newsmen in a press statement on the ongoing military operations by the Armed Forces of Nigeria said the arrested terrorist commander is a close associate of a wanted high profile terrorist leader known as Kachalla Boka.
He informed that the arrest has been rewarding in intelligence value as he is cooperating and providing troops with much needed intelligence for further operations.
Meanwhile, Maj Gen Buba narrated that during the week under review, troops neutralised 96 and arrested 227 persons.
He said the Troops also arrested 45 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 157 kidnapped hostages, while in south south, the troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of Seven Hundred and Twelve Million Sixty Five Thousand Four Hundred and Fifty Naira (N712,065,450.00) only.
“Furthermore, troops recovered 71 assorted weapons and 1,463 assorted ammunition.
“The breakdown is as follows: 50 AK47 rifles, 16 fabricated rifles, 5 dane guns, 5 pump action guns, 5 locally made pistols, one revolver pistol and 16 AK47 magazines.
“Others are: 784 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 403 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 164 rounds 7.62 x 39mm ammo, 53 rounds of 9mm ammo, 67 live cartridges, one baofeng radio, 19 vehicles, 23 motorcycles, 35 mobile phones and the sum of N4,087,630.00 and 46,000 cfa only amongst other items.
‘Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 4 dugout pits, 48 boats, 52 drums and 38 storage tanks.
“Other items recovered include 55 cooking ovens, 2 speedboats, one tricycle, 6 mobile phones, 6 vehicles and 60 illegal refining sites.
“Troops recovered 712,535 litres of stolen crude oil and 76,800 litres of illegally refined AGO.
He therefore promised that the military would not relent on its plan to kill terrorists and destroy the infrastructure that support them.
“We will increasingly degrade the terrorist military capability and effectiveness through our operations” he said.
