Defense Headquarters says the troops eliminated a total of 858 bandits, arrested 2,318 and rescued 554 victims kidnapped in different operations in the Northwest and North Central between May 2021 and January 2022.
Acting Director of Defense Media Operations Bernard Onyeuko, a major general, revealed this when he briefed journalists on operations by the armed forces across the country on Thursday in Abuja.
Onyeuko said the military accomplished the feat through operations Hadarin Daji in the northwest, Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke in the north-central, as well as Thunder Strike / Whirl Punch in the north-west and central.
Under Operation Hadarin Daji, he said that the operational efforts of the valiant troops resulted in the deaths of 537 bandits and other criminal elements and the arrest of 374 criminal elements, including bandits and their collaborators, as well as criminal herdsmen and thieves.
Onyeuko added that the troops also rescued 452 kidnapped victims and recovered 227 assorted weapons, including AK-47 rifles, PKT and GPMG machine guns, as well as 4,443 rounds of ammunition of different calibers.
According to him, in the course of operations, the troops recovered 3,250 stolen animals, 238 motorcycles and 118 additional rifle magazines.
He said the Air Component recorded another feat on January 3 when it carried out air raids on bandit enclaves in Gusami Forest and West Tsamre village in Birnin Magaji local government area in Zamfara, leading to neutralization. of dozens of bandits.
He said the locations were the operational base of the leaders of two key bandits, Alhaji Auta and Kachalla Ruga, who were killed along with their followers.
According to him, no less than 100 bandits were neutralized in the encounter.
Under Operation Safe Haven, Mr. Onyeuko revealed that troops arrested a total of 1,771 criminal elements, including bandits, armed herders and cattle thieves; while 109 bandits were killed in action during the period.
He added that the troops also rescued 75 kidnapped victims and recovered 1,306 head of cattle, 108 assorted weapons, including AK-47 rifles and locally produced weapons, as well as 493 rounds of ammunition of different calibers, among other items.
According to him, the troops conducted various non-kinetic activities at different locations within the theater to contain security challenges in their area of responsibility.
Some of these include; peace and security meetings with critical security actors to discuss and offer viable solutions to security problems, as well as organized sports activities for young people with a view to dissuading them from criminal activities, ”he said.
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In Operation Whirl Stroke, Onyeuko said troops removed a total of 168 criminal elements and arrested 127, including migrant bandits, as well as recovered 118 different types of weapons and 381 different calibers of ammunition.
In addition, it revealed that 391 head of cattle were recovered, while 33 kidnapped victims were rescued in the period in the center-north.
The Defense spokesperson also revealed that Operation Thunder Stroke / Whirl Punch troops eliminated a total of 44 criminals and arrested 46 within the period.
According to him, the operations also led to the recovery of 59 assorted weapons, 12 extra magazines for AK-47 rifles, 113 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition and 16 motorcycles, among other items, in the course of the operations.
“In addition, a total of 14 abducted civilians were rescued and reunited with their families during the period under review,” he said.
(YAYA)