Troops Kill 156 Terrorists, Arrest 464, Rescue 181 in One Week – DHQ

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has reported significant success in the ongoing internal military operations, revealing that in just one week, Nigerian troops killed 156 terrorists, arrested 464 individuals, and rescued 181 hostages.

Major General Edward Buba, the outgoing Director of Defence Media Operations, presented the figures during a farewell briefing in Abuja on Thursday. He emphasized that these achievements were part of the sustained efforts by the military to combat terrorism and criminal activities across the country.

General Buba further revealed that during this period, troops made significant breakthroughs in the fight against oil theft, with the arrest of 29 suspected oil thieves. The troops also recovered stolen products valued at over N623 million. In addition, military operations led to the recovery of 219 assorted weapons and 2,871 rounds of ammunition.

The breakdown of the recovered arms included one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 68 AK47 rifles, one AK56 rifle, 12 fabricated rifles, four FN rifles, four dane guns, seven pump action guns, one foreign double barrel gun, nine fabricated Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), 18 FN grenades, six RPG bombs, and 27 magazines, among other items. The recovered ammunition also included thousands of rounds of various calibers, as well as live cartridges, mobile phones, and other military equipment.

In the Niger Delta region, troops focused on curbing illegal oil refining and theft. They discovered and destroyed 46 illegal refining sites, 48 crude oil cooking ovens, 10 dugout pits, and 56 storage tanks. Additionally, troops recovered substantial quantities of stolen petroleum products, including 705,294 liters of crude oil, 6,865 liters of illegally refined AGO (Automotive Gas Oil), 1,500 liters of DPK (Dual Purpose Kerosene), and 800 liters of PMS (Premium Motor Spirit). Other items seized in the region included boats, speedboats, pumping machines, outboard engines, and motorcycles.

General Buba stressed the military’s commitment to ending insurgency and terrorism, particularly in the North-West and North-East regions, which have been plagued by foreign fighters from the Sahel region. While acknowledging that occasional setbacks are expected in any conflict zone, he reaffirmed the military’s resolve to break the terrorists’ will to fight.

He called on citizens to take an active role in maintaining security, emphasizing that security is a collective responsibility, not just the duty of the military.

“Citizens must not compromise on security, otherwise everyone’s security is compromised,” General Buba stated.