Troops killed 2,403 terrorists, bandits, kidnappers in 9 months – Presidency
The Presidency Thursday said various nits of the Nigerian Armed Forces, in coordinated operations
Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina
The Presidency Thursday said various nits of the Nigerian Armed Forces, in coordinated operations, across the country between March 18 and December 30, 2020 had eliminated over 2,403 terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and criminals of other sorts.
Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, stated this in “a checklist of successes of the Nigerian Armed Forces”, released to State House reporters in commemoration of this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day.
He said this was in addition to terrorists and bandits killed during air strikes by the Nigeria Air Force.
The checklist segmented the achievements into regions with special attention on the activities in the northeast mostly affected by the activities of the Boko Haram terrorist group.
The checklist also revealed figures of the rescues of kidnapped victims, recoveries of arms and ammunition, as well as those of stolen petroleum products and crude within the period in review.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria from 18 March to 30 December, 2020 neutralized 2,403 criminal elements (terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, cattle rustlers, etc.) across the country.
“This is in addition to scores of other terrorists and armed bandits killed during air strikes.
“Troops also rescued a total of 864 kidnapped victims across the country. In addition, a total of 9,684,797 litres of stolen AGO and 33,516,000 litres of DPK were recovered.
“Equally, 1,910 criminal elements were arrested and large cache of arms, ammunition and equipment were recovered during the period.
“Furthermore, a total of 46,581.8 barrels of stolen crude oil and 22,881,257 litres of stolen PMS were recovered by the troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria”, the checklist said.
Meanwhile, the operation mounted to enforce the recently doused partial closure of the nation’s land borders, known as Operation Swift Response (OSR), led to the seizure of smuggled items and products worth N12.5 billion between August 2019 and December 2020 it lasted.
Earlier in Abuja yesterday, the Defence Headquarters had said fewer than 64 terrorists were killed in different encounters in the northeast within one week by the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and its subsidiary Operation Tura Takaibango.
Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Defence Headquarters, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, disclosed this to journalists in Abuja while giving updates on operations of the military.
He said several other terrorists were also killed and 11 terrorists’ gun trucks and other equipment destroyed in massive air strikes by the Air Task Force during the period.
He said the troops had on January 7, raided a Boko Haram terrorists’ enclave at Goniri and Gorgi in Gujba and Damaturu Local Government Areas of Yobe killing scores and recovered 10 gun trucks from the terrorists.
Enenche said the newly inaugurated subsidiary Operation Tura Takaibango had on January 9, killed 28 terrorists at Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe, stressing that several others escaped with gunshot wounds as well as recovery of one-gun truck and cache of arms and ammunition.
“Similarly, on the same day, troops had an encounter with some BHT/ISWAP terrorists at Gonan Kaji Village along Damaturu-Buni Yadi Road in Yobe. During this period, 30 terrorists were killed while caches of arms and ammunition were recovered.
“In same vein, on Jan. 10, troops engaged with some terrorists at Kafa Village in Damboa Local Government Area of Yobe killing six terrorists and recovering one-gun truck and several weapons,” he said.