December 31, (THEWILL) – The Defence Headquarters says the military eliminated no fewer than 6,880 terrorits and other criminal and apprehended 6,970 others between January and December 2023.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major-General Edward Buba, made this disclosure while giving an update on the operations of the military in 2023 at the weekend in Abuja.
Buba said the troops also rescued 4,488 kidnapped victims as well as recovered 3,320 assorted weapons and 39, 075 assorted ammunitions during the year.
He added that the troops recovered 100.3 million litres of crude oil, 60.3 million litres of diesel, 3.4 million litres of kerosene and 3.3 million litres of petrol within the year.
In the North-East, Buba said troops of Operation Hadin Kai neutralised 1, 759 terrorists, apprehended 953 suspects and rescued 538 kidnapped victims.
Furthermore, he said the troops recovered 34 AK47 rifles, 346 assorted arms, 4,792 rounds of ammunition and 830 livestock.
In the South-East, Buba said the troops of Operation UDO KA neutralised 464 terrorists, apprehended 907 suspects and rescued 518 victims. The troops according to him, recovered 65 AK47 rifles, 150 pump action guns, 53 dane guns, 85 pistols, 684 assorted arms, 1,083 rounds of 7.62 mm special, 4,371 live cartridges, 5,825 assorted ammunitions and 630 other equipment.
According to him, the security situation in the year 2023 has remained fluid, complex and dynamic with the threat morphing in form and scale.
“This unpredictable nature of the threat and the attendant demands for stability have continued to pose significant challenges for security forces, “ he said , adding that “consequently, various forces have continued to evolve tactics, technics and procedures to professionally respond to the threat.”
