By Joy Odor
The Nigerian Armed Forces has informed of its troops neutralizing 115 insurgents, arrest 238 suspects, rescued 138 kidnapped hostages and apprehended 51 individuals involved in oil theft.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba who made this known while briefing journalists on the troops ongoing military operations across the Theater operations on Thursday.
According to him, the operations also disrupted illegal oil refining activities in the South-South region, preventing crude oil theft worth an estimated ₦921.8 million.
He noted that during the week under review, troops neutralised 115 and arrested 238 in the South South Zone denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of Nine Hundred and Twenty One Million Eight Hundred and Forty Seven Thousand One Hundred and Forty Six Naira (N921,847,146.00) only.
The DDMO affirmed that the operations led to the recovery of 145 assorted weapons, including 68 AK-47 rifles, grenade launchers, and fabricated pistols, along with over 3,800 rounds of ammunition.
Others recoveries included 872,070 litres of stolen crude oil, 67,985 litres of illegally refined AGO, 24 motorcycles, and ₦7.24 million in cash.
“In the Niger Delta, troops destroyed 78 crude oil cooking ovens, 56 illegal refining sites, and 26 storage tanks. Equipment such as speedboats, walkie-talkies, and pumping machines were seized, further crippling the logistics of oil theft syndicates.
“Troops are actively dismantling terrorist networks, targeting their logistics bases, and striking confirmed hideouts and eliminates a notorious terrorist commander, Munzur Ya Audu, during an operation in the Northeast.
Despite challenges, the military continues its efforts to secure the nation, calling on citizens to support ongoing operations by providing credible intelligence.
He assured that the Armed Forces remain mission-focused, prepared, and committed to degrading the capabilities of terrorists and criminals.
