By Joy Odor
The Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI has synchronized with air force as well as ground operations by ground forces to dislodge terrorists from their enclaves, killing over 70 extremist members at KWALLARAM, with several more killed at ARAINNA CIKI islands in Borno State.
The Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Major General Edward Buba in a press statement on Saturday on the ongoing military Operations across in the month of October.
He also said the Troops intensify offensive against terrorist and insurgents across the country resulted in the neutralization of 169 terrorists and arrested 641 persons.
The DDMO informed that the Troops arrested 40 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 181 kidnapped hostages.
Maj Gen Buba affirmed that the troops recovered 192 assorted weapons and 2,970 assorted ammunition.
The breakdown as follows: 106 AK47 rifles, 38 fabricated rifles, 26 dane guns, one FN rifle, 3 fabricated revolver pistol, 11 locally made pistols, 5 pump action guns, ome dummy AK47 rifle, one unexploded RPG bomb, 2
Others are: 1,410 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 1,074 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 67 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 130 rounds of 108mm, 101 rounds of 9mm ammo, 146 live cartridges, 2 baofeng radios, 7 vehicles, 29 motorcycles, 40 mobile phones and the sum of N729,000.00 only amongst other items.
According to him, in the South South Zone, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of One Billion Four Hundred and Two Million Nine Hundred and One Thousand Nine Hundred Naira (N1,402,001,900.00) only.
He maintained that the Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 20 crude oil cooking ovens, 2 dugout pits, 42 boats, 7 reservoirs, 5 drums, 50 storage tanks and 83 illegal refining sites.
Other items recovered include 3 pumping machines, 3 outboard engines, one generator set, one speedboat, 8 motorcycles, 3 mobile phones and 3 vehicles, recovered 914,445 litres of stolen crude oil, 537,325 litres of illegally refined AGO and 1,285 litres of PMS, among others.
The DDMO therefore narrated that in the whole, troops operations has severely depleted the ranks and files of the terrorists and are forced into a desperate recruitment drive on social media, particularly the ISWAP terrorist group.
Maj Gen Buba promised that the troops would sustain the offensives to eliminate all threats.
