The Troops from the Nigerian Army have recorded major victories against terrorists and criminal networks across the country, killing scores, arrested 13 suspects, and rescuing 15 kidnap victims in a series of coordinated operations.
According to military sources, the operations, conducted between August 29 and 31, also led to the recovery of high-calibre weapons, ammunition, explosives, and illegally refined petroleum products.
Both in Katsina and Zamfara States, troops of the 17 Brigade and 1 Brigade Combat Team rescued 12 kidnapped victims, while in Nasarawa and Imo States, three others were freed by troops of Operation Whirl Stroke and the 34 Artillery Brigade.
Criminal collaborators and logistics suppliers also came under heavy crackdown in Kebbi and Sokoto, where six suspected members of the notorious Lakurawa group were arrested with cash and logistics materials.
In Kano and Kaduna States, troops recovered ammunition shells and other items after gun duels with fleeing terrorists. Meanwhile, in Taraba, three impostors posing as security personnel were arrested and handed over to police.
Troops also dealt a heavy blow to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in Imo State, dismantling sentry posts, destroying an IED factory, and seizing explosives, detonators, and surveillance gadgets.
The fight against crude oil theft intensified in the Niger Delta, with troops intercepting over 2,500 litres of stolen petroleum products in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States, while illegal refining sites were destroyed in Imo. In Delta, two armed suspects were arrested with locally fabricated weapons and ammunition.
All rescued victims have been handed over to relevant authorities for reunification with their families.
A senior officer assured that the Nigerian Army remains committed to dismantling criminal networks, creating safer communities, and supporting the Federal Government’s food security
agenda.
