Troops of the Nigerian Army have killed scores of terrorists and arrested 15 others in a series of coordinated operations across the country.
A military source told The Nation late Monday night that troops also rescued 15 kidnap victims during onslaughts conducted from August 29 to 31.
According to the source, troops recovered a large cache of high calibre weapons, ammunition, explosives, and illegally refined petroleum products.
Providing details on the successes, the source revealed that in the Northwest zone, troops of 17 Brigade in Katsina State and 1 Brigade Combat Team in Zamfara State rescued 12 kidnap victims from terrorist captivity.
Furthermore, troops also conducted successful rescue operations in the Northcentral and Southeast regions, with Operation Whirl Stroke troops in Nasarawa State and 34 Artillery Brigade troops in Imo State rescuing three kidnap victims during a crackdown on terrorist hideouts.
According to the source, a combined team comprising 1 Battalion Rear of the Nigerian Army, other security forces, and local vigilantes intensified crackdowns on suspected collaborators and logistics suppliers of criminal groups in the Northwest, raiding criminal hideouts in Kebbi and Sokoto States, where they arrested six suspected members of the notorious Lakurawa terrorist group and seized their logistics items and cash.
“In Kano and Kaduna States, troops recovered empty ammunition shells and other evidence after encounters with fleeing terrorists,” the source said.
The source reported a significant success against IPOB/ESN fighters in Imo State, where troops dismantled and destroyed their sentry posts and an improvised explosive device (IED) factory, and disposed of multiple explosives found along major routes.
“They also recovered IED detonators, CCTV cameras, and metal fragments prepared for bomb-making.”
The source highlighted successes against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region, noting that troops intercepted and destroyed large volumes of illegally refined products, arresting two suspects with over 2,500 litres of stolen petroleum products in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States.
“Similarly, in Imo State, troops discovered illegal refining sites containing more than 700 litres of crude oil and refined products, which were destroyed in line with standard procedures.”
According to the source, troops have also intensified arms recovery efforts, “arresting two armed suspects in Delta State who were found with two locally fabricated pistols, a pump-action rifle, cartridges, and mobile phones.”
The source stated that the rescued victims were handed over to the appropriate authorities for reunification with their families, assuring that “the Nigerian Army will continue to dismantle criminal networks nationwide, creating a safer environment to boost agricultural activities and support the Federal Government’s food security initiatives.”
