Troops foil N19.7m crude oil theft, kill dozens of terrorists, rescue 41 Victims – DHQ

Nigerian troops have thwarted crude oil theft valued at N19.7 million in the South-South, neutralised dozens of terrorists and rescued 41 kidnapped victims across multiple theatres of operation within one week, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has disclosed.

Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, who disclosed this at a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja, said the operations formed part of nationwide offensives carried out between September 14 and 22.

According to him, troops of Operation Delta Safe also destroyed 16 illegal refining sites and arrested 19 suspects, adding that five kidnap victims were rescued in the Niger Delta.

Beyond the South-South, Kangye reported that troops neutralised dozens of terrorists, arrested at least 120 criminal suspects and rescued 41 kidnapped victims across multiple theatres of operation.

“In the North-East, troops of Operation Hadin Kai eliminated Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, apprehended 26 terrorist collaborators, and freed three kidnapped victims.

“In the North-West, troops of Operation Fansan Yamma engaged bandits across Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto states, killing several terrorists and rescuing 14 victims”, he stated.

He also disclosed that Abubakar Ahmadu, a notorious terrorist, was arrested alongside six others.

The DHQ also reported that troops of Operation Enduring Peace in Plateau and Kaduna states arrested 52 criminals, killed insurgents during firefights, and freed nine captives, while those of Operation Whirl Stroke in Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Nasarawa and the FCT nabbed 17 criminals, including Saawuan Wuaiyolna, a kidnap kingpin, rescuing eight victims.

“In the South-East, troops of Operation Udo Ka dismantled terrorist cells, killed several fighters, arrested six suspects and recovered weapons, vehicles and improvised explosive device (IED) materials. Three kidnap victims were also rescued”, he added.

Kangye praised the troops’ resilience and professionalism, urging the public to continue providing timely and credible intelligence to aid security operations.

“The successes recorded across the different theatres underscore the military’s determination to stamp out terrorism, curb oil theft and secure Nigeria’s territorial integrity,” he said.