Maryam Aminu
Sustained military operations across Nigeria forced 73 insurgents and their family members to surrender in September, while hundreds of kidnapped victims were rescued and criminal networks disrupted in different parts of the country.
The Defence Headquarters said the month-long operations also resulted in the neutralisation of 52 terrorists and other criminal elements and the arrest of 350 suspects between August 31 and September 30.
Director, Defence Media Operations, Micheal Onoja, disclosed the figures on Wednesday during the Defence Headquarters Combined Monthly and Third Quarter Media Briefing on military operations across the country.
In the North-East, where troops have continued to put pressure on terrorist enclaves, Operation HADIN KAI rescued 103 kidnapped victims, neutralised 27 terrorists and arrested 49 suspects during the period.
But beyond the battlefield, the military also recorded a significant number of insurgents and their families abandoning the terrorist groups.
On September 24, troops rescued 44 members of terrorist families, including 13 women and 31 children, at Konduga and Bama in Borno State.
The Defence Headquarters also reported that more than 70 insurgents and their family members surrendered at different locations during the month, with some reportedly citing hunger, harsh living conditions and shortages of basic supplies within the enclaves.
The pressure was also felt in the North-West, where Operation FANSAN YAMMA rescued 171 kidnapped victims, arrested 26 suspects and neutralised seven terrorists.
In one of the month’s notable operations, a Nigerian Air Force jet intercepted terrorists moving with more than 60 kidnapped victims around Bazama in Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State on September 17. The disruption allowed the victims to escape.
In the North-Central, Operation WHIRL STROKE rescued 320 kidnapped victims, arrested 57 suspects and neutralised one terrorist.
Among those rescued were 18 passengers abducted from a commercial bus at Andaha Community along the Jos-Akwanga Road in Nasarawa State on September 26.
Other theatres also recorded gains. Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD rescued 27 victims, while Operation ENDURING PEACE rescued another 28.
In the South-South, the military turned its attention to illegal oil activities, with Operation DELTA SAFE arresting 33 suspects, destroying eight illegal refining sites and recovering more than 304,822 litres of petroleum products.
Operation UDO KA in the South-East rescued six victims, arrested 28 suspects and neutralised three criminal elements. Troops also destroyed an illegal bunkering site and arrested a suspected improvised explosive device fabrication expert.
Micheal said the operations were part of the Armed Forces’ continued efforts to protect civilians, disrupt terrorist and criminal networks and secure critical national assets.
He said the military would sustain its operations while strengthening intelligence gathering, cooperation with other security agencies and engagement with communities to address security threats across the country.
