The influx of terrorists from the Sahel region is responsible for the resurgence of terrorist attacks in the North East and North West theatres, the Defence Headquarters stated yesterday.
This is even as the military maintained that its “strategic objective of breaking the terrorists will to fight remains resolute and unhindered.”
The immediate past Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen Edward Buba, made the disclosure at an emotionladen briefing that marked his exit from the Directorate.
He said: “The military is committed to winning the war against terrorists and insurgency across the country.
“This is demonstrated as troops are fighting with great effort, determination and sacrifice to bring about great results.
“Accordingly, troops are thwarting and eliminating forms of resurgent terror attacks in the North West and North East, caused by influx of foreign fighters from the Sahelian region.
“Though troops might record occasional tactical setbacks, which is commonplace in any theatre of war, our strategic objective of breaking the terrorists will to fight remains resolute and unhindered.
“Overall, citizens are urged to embrace security as every bodies business and not that of the military. “Accordingly, citizens must not compromise on security otherwise everyone’s security is compromised.
Speaking on the ongoing kinetic and non-kinetic operations to bring insecurity to its knees, Buba said:
“The just concluded Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day was a stack reminder that our fallen heroes have not died in vain.
Indeed, the life of any personnel lost in battle contributes to making our nation safer. “It is in light of the above that, during the period under review, troops neutralised 156 and arrested 464 persons.
“Troops also arrested 29 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 181 kidnapped hostages. In the SS, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of N623,447,390.00.
“Furthermore, troops recovered 219 assorted weapons and 2,871 assorted ammunition. The breakdown is as follows: one GPMG, 68 AK47 rifles, one AK56 rifle, 12 fabricated rifles, 4 FN rifles, 4 Dane guns, 7 pump action guns, one foreign doublebarrel gun, 9 fabricated IEDs, 18 FN grenades, 6 RPG bombs, 27 magazines, 4 IEDs and making materials.
“Others are: 1,618 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 676 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 16 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm ammo, 68 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammo, 317 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 73 rounds of 12.7mm ammo, 175 rounds of PKT ammo, one box of 12.7mm ammo, 25 live cartridges, one Baofeng radio, 10 vehicles, 42 motorcycles, 29 mobile phones, among other items.”
He added: “Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 48 crude oil cooking ovens, 10 dugout pits, 56 storage tanks and 46 illegal refining sites.
Troops also recovered 705,294 litres of stolen crude oil, 6,865 litres of illegally refined AGO, 1,500 litres of DPK and 800 litres of PMS7. “Other items recovered include 28 boats, 8 pumping machines and 6 speedboats.
Additional are: 3 outboard engines, 6 drums, 8 motorcycles, one mobile phone and 8 vehicles, among others.
“Overall, the military is profoundly conscious of its role and responsibility in ending insurgency and terrorism in the nation.”
