Troops kill 148 terrorists, arrest 258 in latest operations – DHQ reports

A total of 148 terrorists were neutralized during military operations across various theatres over the past week.

In addition, 258 suspects were apprehended, including two ammunition couriers identified as Danweri and Abubakar Hamza, according to the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, in a statement issued on Saturday.

Maj. Gen. Buba revealed that the two ammunition couriers were captured in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State. He stated, “During the week, troops in the North Central theatre intercepted and arrested two ammunition couriers collaborating with terrorists.

The suspects, Danweri and Abubakar Hamza, were apprehended in Alkaleri LGA of Bauchi State and are currently cooperating with troops.”

Additionally, he disclosed that 291 kidnapped hostages were rescued. “Troops neutralized a total of 148 terrorists, arrested 258 individuals, and successfully rescued 291 hostages from captivity,” Buba said.

The operations also targeted oil theft in the South-South region. Maj. Gen. Buba reported the arrest of 51 suspected oil thieves and the recovery of crude oil worth ₦798 million. He added, “Troops in the Niger Delta area dismantled oil theft operations valued at ₦798,146,470.00. They destroyed 68 crude oil cooking ovens, 13 dugout pits, 41 boats, 45 storage tanks, and 66 illegal refining sites.

“Recovered items included four speedboats, one pumping machine, 150 drums, a generator, two motorcycles, two mobile phones, a drone, and five vehicles. In total, troops seized 657,470 litres of stolen crude oil, 127,870 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 5,000 litres of DPK.”

In addition to these efforts, troops recovered 146 assorted weapons and 2,599 rounds of ammunition. Buba provided a breakdown of the arsenal, which included two PKT guns, 72 AK-47 rifles, 33 fabricated rifles, 28 Dane guns, two locally made SMGs, three locally made pistols, two pump-action guns, one RPG bomb, one RPG tube, and 39 magazines.

He further detailed the ammunition recovered: “This includes 1,596 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 636 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 111 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm ammo, 114 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 25 rounds of 9mm ammo, 98 live cartridges, three Baofeng radios, three vehicles, 36 motorcycles, 40 mobile phones, and the sum of ₦1,838,000.00, among other items.”

The military continues to make significant strides in combating terrorism, illegal oil activities, and other criminal enterprises nationwide.