The military high command yesterday revealed that 225 terrorists and armed bandits were killed in the north-east and north-west in September.

It said 2, 783 insurgents and their families surrendered to troops in the north-east even as 259 assorted arms including bombs, grenades, AK47 rifles, magazines among others were recovered within the period under review.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, the Acting Director, Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Brigadier-General Bernard Onyeuko, said troops battled insurgents in over 18 locations in Borno State.

He said dozens of insurgents were decimated by sustained air and ground offensives launched by the military.

“Cumulatively, a total of 85 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists were neutralised and 43 terrorists including their collaborators and logistics suppliers were arrested in the course of the various operations.

“Also, a total of 121 assorted weapons including SMG, HK21 guns, AK-47 and locally-made rifles with magazines, 3,372 rounds of 7.62mm NATO/Special ammunition, locally made pistols and smooth body grenades, RPG-7 bombs as well as 12,250 bags of fertilizers were recovered. Furthermore, a total of 2,783 terrorists and their families surrendered within the period under review,” he said.

On the war against armed banditry, Onyeuko said troops conducted clearance operations on bandits’ enclaves at Falaliya, Yan Duwatsu, Kunkare, Jangeme, Mazarko and Kasala villages under Talata Mafara LGA in Zamfara State as well as Yarmariya village in Tudun Wada LGA of Kano State and cleared bandits’ camps. “During the period under review, a total of 240 armed bandits were neutralised, 125 assorted arms including AK-47 and FN riffles and dane guns as well as 1,166 rounds of 7.62mm special/NATO ammunition, 1,304 livestock and 54 motorcycles among other items were recovered within the period.

“Also, 47 armed bandits, informants and bandits’ collaborators were arrested within the period. In the same vein, the air component conducted air bombardments on criminal enclaves in different locations including Magami and Dansadau forests in Zamfara State,” he added.

On Operation Delta Safe in the Niger Delta region, he said the military continued to sustain the tempo in its anti-illegal oil operations to forestall economic saboteurs in the South-South zone.

Some of the operations, he said, recorded significant results at different locations in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States within the period in focus.

“In the course of these operations, troops discovered and deactivated a total of 69 illegal refining sites. The sites cumulatively had a total of 79 ovens, 77 cooking pots/boilers and 76 cooling systems, 48 large dugout pits and 246 storage tanks as well as drums and sacks.

“These were cumulatively laden with two million, one hundred and fifty-seven thousand litres of illegally refined AGO as well as 1,300 tons and 4,538 thousand litres of stolen crude oil”, he said.

TodayNG