By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), on Thursday, declared Niger Republic-born notorious terrorist leader, cattle rustler, illegal gold miner, subterranean gunrunner and other terrorist commanders operating in Zamfara State wanted.
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.
Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, made this disclosure during the biweekly briefing on operational activities of the Nigerian military and other security agencies across all theatres of operations.
Buba further disclosed that troops killed no fewer than 227 terrorists and arrested 529 others, within the week under review.
He added that troops deployed to the Joint Operation (South-South), Operation Delta Safe, discovered and demobilized 57 illegal refining sites, within its area of responsibility.
READ ALSO: Shettima chairs dialogue on gains of President Tinubu’s 1 year in office
Gen. Buba noted that troops are actively fighting in various theatres of Operation across the country and are focused on destroying both the military capability as well as the will to fight the terrorists and their cohorts across the country.
Troops, he said are hunting senior terrorist leadership 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 that 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 terrorists 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.
The military operation spokesperson, said, troops denied the oil thieves an estimated sum of One Billion Three Hundred and Twelve Million Four Hundred and Seventy-Seven Thousand Fifty Naira only.
According to him, “Troops in the Niger Delta area 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 outboard engine and 57 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 1,442,700 litres of stolen crude oil and 154,650 litres of illegally refined AGO”
He further revealed that troops recovered 231 assorted weapons and 6,441 assorted ammunition.
The breakdown of the recovered weapons he said include, “89 AK47 rifles, 40 locally fabricated guns, 59 Dane guns, 2 pump action guns, 8 locally fabricated pistols, 6 x 36 hand grenades, 3 IED, one RPG 7 tubes, one RPG 7 charger, 4 AGL rounds, one barrel of QJC Gun, one barrel of PKT with receiver, one barrel of Dushka Gun, 250kg bombs used by NATO and Eastern Bloc aircraft and one MRAP. 9. 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 7.62 x 51mm, 956 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 242 live cartridges, one PKM magazine, 24 magazines, 6 baofeng radios, 8 vehicles, 69 motorcycles, 66 mobile phones, 12 cutlasses and the sum of N1,630,000.00 only amongst other items”.
Troops, he said, are fighting admirably in a very challenging complex combat environment and have made significant progress.
He, however, concluded that there is still a lot of work ahead as there are still many more terrorists to kill, weapons to be recovered and many terrorist commanders and leaders to take off the battlefield.
