The Defence Headquarters said troops eliminated no fewer than 227 terrorists, apprehended 529, and rescued 253 kidnapped victims in ground and air operations across the country in the last week.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen Edward Buba, made this known while briefing newsmen yesterday in Abuja on the operations of the Armed Forces.
The DHQ also declared Niger Republic-born notorious terrorist leader, cattle rustler, illegal gold miner, subterranean gunrunner, Halilu Buzu, and other terrorist commanders operating in Zamfara State wanted.
According to Buba, the troops recovered 231 assorted weapons and 6,441 assorted ammunition, comprising 89 AK47 rifles, 40 locally fabricated guns, 59 Dane guns, 250 kg bombs used by NATO and Eastern Bloc aircraft, and one MRAP.
Others are: 4,198 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 841 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 88 rounds of 5.56mm, 16 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm, 99 rounds of 7.62x51mm, 956 rounds of 7.62x54mm, 242 live cartridges, one PKM magazine, 24 magazines among others
In the North-East, Buba said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai neutralised 83 terrorists, arrested 59 suspects, and rescued 58 kidnapped hostages as well as recovered a large cache of arms.
He said that 219 terrorists comprising 29 adult males, 65 adult females, and 125 children surrendered to troops within the theatre of operations between May 8 and 14.
In the North-Central, Buba said the troops of Operations Safe Haven and Whirle Stroke, neutralised 27 insurgents, arrested 154 violent extremists, and rescued 42 kidnapped hostages.
In the North-West, he said the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji, also neutralised 58 terrorists, arrested 125 terrorists, and rescued 105 kidnapped hostages.
Buba said the air component had on May 8, bombarded a new terrorists enclave in the Faskari area of Katsina State following an intelligence trail and confirmatory ISR on the migration of notorious terrorists’ elements to the deserted settlement.
According to him, battle damage assessment revealed that several terrorists were neutralised and their structures as well as logistics destroyed
He added that troops of Operation Whirl Punch apprehended 68 illegal miners from an illegal mining site in Gwagwalada Area Council of FCT Abuja during the week.
He said that the troops also neutralised 25 terrorists, arrested 97 suspects, and rescued 32 kidnapped hostages.
He also said that in the South-South, troops of Operation Delta Safe recovered 1,442,700 litres of stolen crude oil and 154,650 litres of illegally refined AGO.
According to him, troops discovered and destroyed 18 dugout pits, 34 boats, five drums, four receivers, four reservoirs, and 97 storage tanks.
”Other items recovered include 198 cooking ovens, nine vehicles, three pumping machines, two speedboats, one baofeng radio, one outboard engine, and 57 illegal refining sites.
”Troops also neutralised three extremists and apprehended 16 suspected oil thieves and other violent extremists’’.
In the South East, Buba said the troops of Operation UDO KA neutralised 21 terrorists, arrested 45 violent extremists, and rescued 12 kidnapped hostages as well as recovered a cache of arms.
*Declares Halilu Buzu, other alleged terrorism ring leaders wanted
Meanwhile, the Military High Command, also called on federal and sub-national governments, through their relevant agencies to apprehend and hold him accountable for his atrocities.
The troops, he said, were hunting senior terrorist leaders that are of operational importance in terms of coordination of the terrorist attacks against troops and citizens, stressing that they are also hunting those that are of symbolic value including all those declared wanted.
The Director of Media Operation said troops are on the hunt for one, Halilu Buzu, a terrorist leader that hails from Buzu in the Republic of Niger.
He further disclosed that Buzu settled in Subbubu Forest and lives in Shinkafi LGA of Zamfara State.
“His camp and illegal gold mine are located at Kawayi in Anka LGA of Zamfara State, where he has a lot of boys working for him. Halilu is also a prominent cattle rustler and illegal gold miner. Last week, his boys killed no fewer than 19 villagers at Farar Kasa. He is a High-Value Target and therefore declared wanted. Meanwhile, he is one of several others that we would be declaring wanted.
“Additionally, Halilu is a major arms supplier, trusted by arms dealers for supplying arms from Libya. When troops close in on him, he moves across the border into the Republic of Niger for refuge. At this time, we are through appropriate channels calling on the Nigerian authorities to apprehend and hold him accountable for his atrocities.
“These categories of terrorists are relentlessly targeted by troops, such that we will be able to strike them out and take them off the battlefield as soon as possible.
“It is clear that the fate of the terrorist perpetrating insecurity in our nation will be violent and short. Troops will stop at nothing to take them out of the battlefield. During the week under review, troops neutralised 227 and arrested 529 persons. Troops also arrested 11 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 253 kidnapped hostages,” General Buba said.
