Troops Criple Oil Theft Activities In Rivers State …DHQ
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
Defence Headquarters, DHQ, says troops are sustaining the momentum to achieve victory against terrorists, insurgents, violent extremists and others perpetrating insecurity in the country.
The Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba who disclosed this at the weekly briefing on ongoing military operations across the country disclosed that the armed forces is steadily progressing towards total destruction of the criminal elements.
According to him, given recent events, the military learns every day and makes improvements on ways to better deal with threat situations posed by these terror groups and that troops are moving in against the terrorists and denying them freedom of action.
He said, troops had during the week, carried out surgical operations against two prominent terrorist commanders and decimated their strongholds- Sadiku Enclave in Tsora Hill in Safana LGA of Katsina State and Alhaji Yusuf Enclave at Yadi Forest in Giwa LGA of Kaduna State.
Buba said, troops crippled crude oil theft activities through air interdiction at Bugama, Idama, Cawtorne Channel and Krakrama, all in Rivers State and also apprehended 2 female terrorist collaborators responsible for negotiations with relatives of victims for ransom.
He said overall, troops operations during the week resulted in 152 terrorists neutralised, 109 arrested and 91 hostages rescued.
In the South South, troops denied the oil thieves an estimated sum of Seven Hundred and Ninety Five Million Six Hundred and Eighty Three Thousand Three Hundred and Ninety Five Naira (N795,683,395.00)) only by recovering 725,920 litres of stolen crude oil and 475,250 litres of illegally refined AGO amongst others.
He added that troops recovered 183 weapons, 4,443 ammunitions. The breakdown as follows: 95 AK47 rifles, 35 locally fabricated guns, 76 dane guns, One GPMG, 2 PKT guns, 4,131 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 165 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 115 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 28 cartridges, 53 assorted arms and 197 assorted ammunitions.
The Director Defence Media Operations, pledged that gallant men and women of the armed forces will continue to take pride in putting themselves in harms way to ensure the safety and security of citizens while calling on the citizenry to constantly see the need to show support for troops to win the war.
