Troops of the Nigerian Army have neutralised dozens of terrorists and apprehended 15 others in a series of coordinated operations across the country.
A military source told The Nation late Monday night that soldiers also freed 15 kidnap victims during onslaughts carried out between August 29 and 31.
According to the source, the operations led to the recovery of a significant cache of high-calibre weapons, ammunition, explosives, and illegally refined petroleum products.
In the Northwest, troops of the 17 Brigade in Katsina State and the 1 Brigade Combat Team in Zamfara State rescued 12 hostages from terrorist custody.
Similarly, rescue efforts in the Northcentral and Southeast proved successful, as Operation Whirl Stroke troops in Nasarawa State and the 34 Artillery Brigade in Imo State freed three abducted victims during raids on terrorist hideouts.
The source added that a combined team of the 1 Battalion Rear of the Nigerian Army, security operatives, and local vigilantes stepped up raids on suspected collaborators and suppliers of criminal groups in the Northwest. These operations in Kebbi and Sokoto States led to the arrest of six suspected members of the notorious Lakurawa terrorist group, along with the seizure of logistics items and cash.
“In Kano and Kaduna States, troops recovered empty ammunition shells and other evidence after encounters with fleeing terrorists,” the source said.
“In Taraba State, three impostors posing as security personnel were apprehended and handed over to the Police for further investigation.”
In Imo State, troops achieved a breakthrough against IPOB/ESN fighters, dismantling and destroying their sentry posts and an improvised explosive device (IED) factory. They also neutralised multiple explosives positioned along major routes.
“They also recovered IED detonators, CCTV cameras, and metal fragments prepared for bomb-making.”
On the issue of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, the source explained that troops intercepted and destroyed large quantities of illegally refined products. Two suspects were arrested in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States with over 2,500 litres of stolen petroleum products.
“Similarly, in Imo State, troops discovered illegal refining sites containing more than 700 litres of crude oil and refined products, which were destroyed in line with standard procedures.”
Arms recovery efforts were also intensified, with troops “arresting two armed suspects in Delta State who were found with two locally fabricated pistols, a pump-action rifle, cartridges, and mobile phones.”
The source confirmed that all rescued victims had been handed over to the relevant authorities for reunification with their families, stressing that “the Nigerian Army will continue to dismantle criminal networks nationwide, creating a safer environment to boost agricultural activities and support the Federal Government’s food security initiatives.”