The military high command announced on Thursday that, in separate operations between November 14 and 17, 2023, troops successfully apprehended three suspected arms dealers in Zango Kataf and Kagarko LGAs of Kaduna State. The individuals, whose names are withheld, were en route to deliver ammunition to the notorious terrorist leader, Bello Turji, in Zamfara.
Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, disclosed that the suspects were intercepted with a significant cache of weapons, including 504 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammo, 100 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammo, three RPG chargers, three mobile phones, one ATM card, and one vehicle.
Buba further revealed that on November 20, 2023, troops on patrol discovered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) with a handwritten letter in Biu LGA of Borno State. Ongoing analysis is being conducted to understand the content and implications of the letter.
Highlighting the overall success of operations, Buba noted that a total of 99 terrorists were killed, 198 were arrested, and 49 perpetrators of oil theft were apprehended. Additionally, 139 kidnapped hostages were rescued. In the South-South region, troops successfully prevented the theft of an estimated sum of N1,018,483,900.00.
Furthermore, in the Niger Delta area, troops destroyed 245 dugout pits, 31 boats, 69 storage tanks, 23 vehicles, 162 cooking ovens, one pumping machine, three outboard engines, one tricycle, and 50 illegal refining sites. The recovery included 578,900 litres of stolen crude oil, 454,330 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 10,000 litres of DPK.
