Defence Headquarters, Assures Residents In The FCT Of Unwavering Commitment To Safeguarding Them
Princess-Ekwi Ajide Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has been in the news recently for the brazen activities of kidnappers in the capital city.
This, the armed forces says it is not unaware of the terrible impact of kidnappings on the families of those affected as it recognizes the fear that kidnapping creates amongst the citizenry..
The Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba in a statement, assured citizens that the armed forces is working relentlessly to address the hurtful situation adding that troops are synergizing with other security services and stakeholders to investigate and gather more intelligence on these kidnapping gangs, particularly around the FCT.
He noted that troops have prioritized the areas of the kidnappings, increased both ground and air surveillance over the areas and that technologies have also been deployed to more easily detect the kidnapping gangs in their hideouts and enclaves.
Buba, said, the armed forces will always be mindful of the threat by kidnapping gangs and terrorist across the country and will as such, continually review its internal processes in order to deal with the threats both now and in the long term.
He noted that the military is determined to give the situation the seriousness it deserves so as to create a safer environment for citizens hence, troops have increased the tempo of operations in order to find, degrade and destroy the terrorists and their cohorts wherever they may be hiding.
Buba, counted areas cleared so far, by troops in the FCT and environs, to include Kawu, Gaba, Deidei, Kubwa Hills, and Ushafa in the FCT, Garam, Jibi, and back of Zuma Rock in Niger State, as well as Gidan Dogo and Kuyeri/Kuyeri Hills in Kaduna State.
He noted that they have intensified night patrols in the Mpape, Kubwa, Lugbe, Pyakasa, Keti, Gbaupe, Gbaukuchi, and Airport Rd among others.
The Director Defence Media Operations stressed that in the North East, the air component of Operation HADIN KAI, on 10 January 2024, eliminated three top ISWAP terrorists commanders in Borno State. The three commanders identified as; Abou Maimuna, Abou Zahra and Commander Saleh with their lieutenants were targeted in a canoe, and destroyed by the air strikes.
He gave the overall, operations during the week to have resulted in 43 neutralized terrorists with 76 of them arrested saying that troops also arrested 29 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 27 kidnapped hostages.
In the South South region, troops denied oil thieves the estimated sum of One Hundred and Thirty One Million One Hundred and One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Naira (N131,101,750.00), recovered 81 assorted weapons and 2,150 assorted ammunition.
He added that troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 7 dugout pits, 13 boats, 23 storage tanks, 2 barges, 4 vehicles, including 15 cooking ovens, 2 pump machines and 16 illegal refining sites.
Buba said, troops recovered 139,045 litres of stolen crude oil, 25,115 litres of illegally refined AGO and 5,200 litres of DPK.
