Troops pound on militants, oil thieves in coordinated raids
Nigeria’s military announced that it has dealt severe losses to extremist militant groups in the north and oil thieves in the south, capturing hundreds, seizing weapons, and rescuing abduction victims after a week-long operation.
Major-General Edward Buba, the defense spokesperson, said at a press conference that troops had killed or wounded 188 militants and arrested 330 individuals at various sites across the country.
He said security forces also arrested 36 suspected oil thieves in the Niger Delta region and freed 133 kidnapping victims, seizing around 270 weapons and more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition during the entire operation, which further highlighted the will of the military to keep the West African country safe.
About $554,000 of suspected proceeds of oil theft were also seized as troops destroyed 51 dugout pits, 24 boats, 21 storage tanks, and more than 20 illegal oil refining facilities, recovering nearly 700,000 litres of stolen crude oil.
The Major-General explained further that armed forces are working decisively to decimate the terrorists, stop insecurity, and ensure the safety of citizens while assuring that troops will continue to operate with tremendous forces against the terrorists across the country.
Nigeria faces a multitude of security concerns, including a long-running extremist insurgency in the northeast, separatist conflict in the southeast, chronic oil theft in the Niger Delta, and kidnapping for ransom by criminal groups.
