By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Defence Headquarters has attributed the recent resurgence of terrorist attacks in North-East and North-West to the alleged influx of foreign fighters reinforcing local terror groups.
The Director of Defence Media Operation, Maj-Gen Edward Buba, made this known yesterday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the armed forces operations.
“The resurgence in terror attacks can be attributable to the influx of foreign fighters that come in as reinforcement for these terrorists.
“These foreign fighters are from the Sahelian Region. The other contributing factor is the local collaborators that form a support base for these terrorists.
“They serve as informants to the terrorist reporting on troop movement. Despite the situation, troops are profoundly conscious of their role and responsibility in ending insurgency and terrorism in the nation,” he said.
Buba said troops might record occasional tactical setbacks but noted that the “strategic objective to break the terrorist will to fight remained unhindered.”
According to him, defeating an enemy means destroying or breaking his will to fight, and the military achieves this by killing its operatives, commanders, and senior leadership in a cumulative effort.
He said the troops had continued to take away the terrorists’ most important assets, such as their logistics, administrative, and fighting capabilities.
“And, of course, we are applying regional and international pressure and engaging the media. All these combine to destroy the terrorist will to fight.
“Wars are fought and won worldwide by destroying the enemy’s will to fight. And we are bent on achieving just that.
“We understand that this war is not a quick fix but a long and enduring military operation at the end of which these terrorists will be destroyed, and we will have a better world.
“Overall, we understand that we all want to be in a different situation, a situation whereby all this insecurity is over and the terrorist is completely eradicated,” he added.
*Military kills 156 terrorists, nabs 146 suspects in one week
The Defence Headquarters says troops have, in the last week, neutralised 156 terrorists, apprehended 464 suspects, and rescued 181 kidnapped hostages in different operations across the country.
The Director, Defence Media Operation, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, made this known while briefing journalists on the armed forces’ operation in Abuja.
Buba said the troops also apprehended 29 perpetrators of oil theft and denied the oil thieves an estimated sum of N623.4m within the week.
He said the troops recovered 219 assorted weapons and 2,871 ammunition, comprising one GPMG, 68 AK47 rifles, one AK56 rifle, 12 fabricated rifles, four FN rifles, and four Dane guns.
Recovered arms also include seven pump action guns, one foreign double barrel gun, nine fabricated IEDs, 18 FN grenades, six RPG bombs, 27 magazines, four IEDs, and making materials.
He added that 1,618 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 676 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 16 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm ammo, 68 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammo, and 317 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammo were also recovered.
According to him, the others are 73 rounds of 12.7mm ammo, 175 rounds of PKT ammo, one box of 12.7mm ammo, 25 live cartridges, one baofeng radio, 10 vehicles, 42 motorcycles, and 29 mobile phones.
In the North East, Buba said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai eliminated 76 terrorists, arrested 72 suspects, and rescued eight kidnappers’ hostages during the week.
He said the air component, on January 6, conducted air interdiction on BH/ISWAP terrorists at Wulade in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno, killing several terrorists.
In the North West, Buba said the troops of Operation Fansan Yamma, neutralised 64 terrorists, arrested 69 persons and rescued 62 kidnapped hostages.
He added that the air component killed scores of terrorists within Alawa Forest in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger as well as Maikaho and Mashigin areas of Kebbi.
In the Niger Delta area, Buba said the troops of Operation Delta Safe discovered and destroyed 48 crude oil cooking ovens, 10 dugout pits, 56 storage tanks, and 46 illegal refining sites.
According to him, the troop also recovered 705,294 litres of stolen crude oil, 6,865 litres of illegally refined AGO, 1,500 litres of DPK and 800 litres of PMS during the week.
“Other items recovered include 28 boats, eight pumping machines and six speedboats, three outboard engines, six drums, eight motorcycles, one mobile phone, and eight vehicles, among others.
“Overall, the military is profoundly conscious of its role and responsibility in ending insurgency and terrorism in the nation. Overall, citizens are urged to embrace the idea that security is everybody’s business and not that of the military,” he said.
