Troops Kill Wanted Terrorist Abu Mosaje, Arrest 3 Gun Runners in Plateau, Kaduna
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed the killing of notorious terrorist commander and gunrunner, Abu Mosaje, and the arrest of three other gun runners in Plateau and Kaduna States.
In a statement released on Friday, Major General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, revealed that Abu Mosaje was killed in an operation in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State. Mosaje had been a wanted figure linked to numerous acts of terrorism and illegal arms trading in the region.
In the same operation, troops also apprehended Babangida Gora Usman, a notorious kidnap kingpin on security watch lists, in Sanga LGA of Kaduna State. Additionally, Timothy Yusuf and his son, Timothy Obadiah, both known gunrunners, were arrested.
In a separate operation in the South-East, troops arrested seven members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN), including a notorious kidnapper and informants, in Enugu North and Ehime Mbano LGAs of Enugu and Imo States, respectively.
The operations led by the Nigerian military in the past week also saw significant successes against terrorists and criminal elements. In total, 79 terrorists were killed, 224 arrested, and 67 hostages were rescued.
In addition to the arrests, the troops made major strides in the fight against oil theft, recovering stolen products worth N747,070,710.00. They discovered and destroyed 42 illegal oil refining sites, 215 crude oil cooking ovens, 26 dugout pits, and 29 boats, along with other key materials used in the illegal activities.
The forces also intercepted and recovered a substantial amount of stolen crude oil (842,685 litres), 12,340 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and 200 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK).
Further detailing the military’s success, General Buba stated that troops operating across various theatres of operations seized 104 assorted weapons and 1,953 rounds of ammunition. Among the recovered arms were 53 AK47 rifles, 25 fabricated rifles, one FN rifle, and various types of explosives and ammunition.
The operations also led to the seizure of significant criminal equipment, including 35 motorcycles, 22 mobile phones, and several vehicles.
The Defence Headquarters praised the troops for their vigilance and professionalism in maintaining security across the country, emphasizing the military’s ongoing commitment to combatting terrorism, organized crime, and illegal oil activities.
