Soldiers on counter-insurgency and other security operations nationwide have killed 39 terrorists and arrested 157 others.
They also arrested 16 oil thieves and rescued 109 kidnapped persons in various parts of the country.
Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Maj-Gen. Edward Buba, who made the disclosure, yesterday, said soldiers fighting illegal bunkering and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta discovered and destroyed 71 dug-out pits, 36 boats, 83 storage tanks, five vehicles, four motorcycles, 58 cooking ovens, five pumping machines, three generators, three speedboats and 34 illegal refining sites.
In his update of military operations in the last two weeks, Buba said the troops recovered 569,400 litres of stolen crude oil, 486,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and 59,500 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Buba, while noting that military and other security agencies’ operations conducted across the country yielded positive results in the last two weeks, said troops recovered 55 assorted weapons and 96 ammunition.
While assuring Nigerians of the military’s determination to protect the country from external and internal aggression, said the military would continue to be aggressive against violent extremist groups seeking to undermine the security of the country.
He said: “The ongoing counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations across the country remain critical to the armed forces’ efforts to achieve peace and ensure that violent extremist groups do not find haven in the country.
“The focus of the military is to conduct its operations in support of national security interests. Accordingly, the armed forces will continue to work with supportive groups to defeat any group undermining security in the country.”
