Military rescues 60 victims, arrests 44 suspects
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) have rescued more than 60 kidnapped victims and arrested 44 suspects during operations nationwide.
The Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this on Saturday while briefing defence correspondents on operations carried out between Sept. 18 and 24.
Onoja said the operations were conducted against terrorism, kidnapping, arms trafficking, oil theft and other security threats across the country.
Given a breakdown of the operations, he said that a Nigerian Air Force jet disrupted the movement of terrorists conveying a large number of kidnapped victims around Bazama, Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi.
According to him, the manoeuvres forced the terrorists to abandon their captives, enabling more than 60 kidnapped victims to escape.
He also said that ground troops rescued several victims in separate operations across Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
According to him, those rescued include 17 victims along the Isa-Kwanar Isa axis in Sokoto and seven university students along the Daye-Malumfashi road in Katsina.
“Troops also rescued five victims, including the Executive Chairman of the Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara, from terrorist captivity at Sekpore village in Kaura Namoda.”
Onoja added that in the Northeast, troops intercepted 44 terrorist family members, comprising 13 women and 31 children, at Konduga in the Bama Local Government Area of Borno.
He said that the victims had escaped from terrorist camps amid clashes between rival terrorist factions.
The defence spokesman further said that more than 20 terrorist fighters and family members also surrendered to troops in the Gwoza, Dikwa and Ngala Local Government Areas of Borno.
According to him, the surrendering terrorists cited hardship and lack of basic necessities in terrorist enclaves on the Mandara Mountains as reasons for abandoning the groups.
He also said that troops arrested suspected terrorist informants, collaborators and logistics suppliers during the period under review.
“Toops arrested a suspected terrorist collaborator and a spy at Geidam market in Yobe, as well as a suspected kidnapper at Gubio, Borno.
“The suspected kidnapper led troops to Ardimini village, where they recovered an AK-47 rifle and a magazine containing 12 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition,” he said.
Onoja said that in the same vein in the Northwest, troops arrested four suspected members of a terrorist group conveying rustled cattle near Illela, Sokoto.
He also said that troops arrested three suspects in Faskari, Katsina, who were allegedly conveying N2.7 million intended for a notorious terrorist kingpin.
In Kaduna, he said troops engaged terrorists around the Abuja-Kaduna rail line and recovered a rifle and ammunition, while another suspect was arrested at Awon community with a locally fabricated pistol and seven rounds of 9mm ammunition.
In the North-Central, the defence spokesman said that troops of Operation Whirl Stroke arrested several suspects involved in kidnapping and arms trafficking across Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Taraba.
He said troops arrested two suspected kidnappers along the Otukpo-Makurdi road in Benue and recovered a rifle and ammunition.
“The troops also arrested a suspected gunrunner at Kwande, Benue, who had earlier been convicted for the same offence.
“In Bauchi, troops and Forest Guards ambushed suspected kidnappers at Kudu Yamma, Ningi Local Government Area, neutralising three while others fled with suspected gunshot wounds,” he said.
Onoja disclosed that the troops recovered a rifle and ammunition and rescued six kidnap victims during the operation.
He added that troops of Operation Enduring Peace also arrested 11 suspects during raids on suspected kidnapping syndicate hideouts in Shere, Gwafan and Maza Hills in Plateau.
According to him, four of the suspects were identified by victims as members of the syndicate allegedly responsible for their abduction.
In the South-South, Onoja said troops of Operation Delta Safe uncovered about 182,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil at Bethel Creeks in Rivers.
He said troops also discovered eight dugout pits, five containing suspected stolen crude oil, alongside hoses allegedly used for illegal crude movement.
The operation, he said, followed an earlier discovery of about 87,000 litres of suspected stolen crude at illegal refining sites around Aworkiri, Rivers, on Sept. 8.
In the South-East, the director said troops of Operation Udo Ka encountered suspected secessionist terrorists at Obibi Forest in the Orsu Local Government Area of Imo.
He said the fleeing terrorists abandoned a general-purpose machine gun, a rifle, ammunition, motorcycle and other items.
According to him, troops also arrested a suspected informant and rescued a woman who had allegedly been kidnapped about two months earlier from her hairdressing salon in Orsu.
Onoja quoted the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, as commending the troops for their gallantry and sacrifices in sustaining operations across the country.
Oluyede also commended the support of other security agencies, local security groups, traditional rulers and community leaders in strengthening the nation’s security architecture.
The CDS further urged members of the public to continue providing credible and timely information to security agencies to support ongoing operations. (NAN)
The post Military rescues 60 victims, arrests 44 suspects appeared first on Vanguard News.