From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Defence Media Operations (DMO), yesterday, said soldiers on counter insurgency and other security operations across the country killed 191 terrorists, arrested 184, while 104 others surrendered to troops at various theatres in the last two weeks.
Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who made the disclosure, said the soldiers also arrested 22 oil thieves, rescued 91 kidnap victims and recovered 209 assorted weapons and 2,894 assorted ammunition.
Gen. Buba, at a media briefing on updates of military operations conducted in the last two weeks, said the troops denied oil thieves of over N300 million.
Giving an update of the operations conducted alongside the security agencies, Gen. Buba, listed the weapons recovered from the criminals to include 46 AK47 rifles, eight G3 rifles, one SMG, one PKT gun, 11 locally made rifles, eight dane gun, two locally made revolvers, nine locally fabricated Ak47 rifles, one locally made SMG, two high grade military rifles, three locally made IED launchers, three locally made pistols, one x 36 hand grenade, IEDs, five Ak47 rifles loaded with 113 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 837 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 289 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 275 rounds of 9mm ammo and 43 live cartridges.
Others are: one unserviceable FN rifle, 22 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammo, four rounds of 7.62mm special (refilled), 32 magazines, three G3 magazines, 45 empty cases of 7.62mm NATO ammo, daggers, 15 cutlasses, 14 vehicles, nine motorcycles, seven bicycles, four fragmental jackets, one tripod, two baofeng radios, 24 mobile phones and the sum of N55,798,105.00.
He said: “Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 38 dugout pits, 21 boats, 57 storage tanks, three tapping hoses, four drum receivers, 89 cooking ovens, six pumping machines, three outboard engines and 34 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 696,250 litres of stolen crude oil, 54,400 litres of illegally refined AGO and 1,200 litres PMS.
“The armed forces remain unperturbed by the evil machinations of these extremist groups. Their nefarious tactics have been exposed for what it truly is, which is a mere ploy to self-enrichment through killings. Accordingly, our message to these individuals and groups is that we have clocked your game and are laser-focused on pursuing peace, by the pursuit of those that threaten the peace in the country.”