December 23, (THEWILL) – Troops of Operation Hadin Kai and Hadarin Daji have in the last two weeks eliminated not less than 51 terrorists and bandits in the North East and North West regions.
The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, made this known in an update on military operations across the country between Dec. 9 and Dec. 23 on Thursday in Abuja.
Under Operation Hadin Kai, Onyeuko said the troops carried out several land and air operations that recorded significant results at different locations within two weeks.
He said the operational efforts resulted in the neutralisation of 51, the arrest of 19 terrorists, as well as the surrendering of 1,081 terrorists and their families comprising 187 adult males, 326 adult females and 568 children.
According to him, a total of 122 assorted arms and 1,499 rounds of different calibres of ammunition were recovered, while a total of eight gun trucks belonging to the terrorists were destroyed.
“Additionally, the troops’ kinetic and non-kinetic operations have continued to drive the terrorists out of their camps into surrendering.
“Within this period in focus, a total of 1,081 terrorists and their families comprising 187 adult males, 326 adult females and 568 children surrendered to our troops at different locations.
“The surrendered terrorists were properly profiled and handed over to appropriate authorities for necessary actions”, he said.
Under Operation Hadarin Daji, Onyeuko said the troops had sustained land and air offensives against the bandits and other criminal elements at different locations across the North West region.
He said the troops’ operational efforts yielded significant results at Kaikazaka village in Sokoto State as well as Garbadu town and Saturi, Katanga, Badarawa and Tunga Na Yarchiga villages in Zamfara.
According to him, a total of 33 bandits were neutralised, 19 of them and their collaborators, armed herdsmen were also arrested while 28 kidnapped civilians were rescued in the course of the operations.
He stated that 37 assorted arms, including AK-47 rifles, PKT machine guns, and GPMGs as well as 698 rounds of different calibres of ammunition, 22 motorcycles, and 899 rustled livestock, among other items and vehicles were recovered.
Onyeuko added that 59 extra magazines of assorted arms and 21 motorcycles were recovered from bandits during the operations.
“We acknowledge and salute the noteworthy efforts and sacrifices of our gallant officers and men as well as other security agencies that progressively conduct the various operations across the country.
“Although some of our troops paid the supreme prize in the course of the operations, our dogged troops consistently exhibited gallantry and resilience in the various operations within the year”, he said.
