From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Defence Media Operations (DMO) said on Thursday that soldiers on counter insurgency operations and other security operations across the country killed 191 terrorists arrested 184, while 104 others surrendered to troops at various theatre in the last two weeks.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who made this known, said the soldiers also arrested 22 oil thieves, rescued 91 kidnapped persons and recovered 209 assorted weapons and 2,894 assorted ammunitions.
Gen Buba, at a media briefing on update of military operations conducted in the last two weeks, said the troops denied oil theft 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, 8 G3 rifle, one SMG, one PKT gun, 11 locally made rifles, 8 dane gun, 2 locally made revolvers, 9 locally fabricated Ak47 rifles, one locally made SMG, 2 high grade military rifles, 3 locally made IED launchers, 3 locally made pistols, one x 36 hand grenade, IEDs, 5 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, 4 rounds of 7.62mm special (refilled), 32 magazines, 3 G3 magazines, 45 empty cases of 7.62mm NATO ammo, daggers, 15 cutlasses, 14 vehicles, 9 motorcycles, 7 bicycles, 4 fragmental jackets, one tripod, 2 boafeng 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, 3 tapping hoses, 4 drum receivers, 89 cooking ovens, 6 pumping machine, 3 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 remains 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.”