• ISWAP fighter surrenders, military arrests collaborators in Kano, Lagos, others
• Military not paying ransom to bandits, says DHQ
TROOPS of the Nigerian Army have killed scores of terrorists and arrested 15 others in a series of operations across the country.
A military source told The Nation on Monday night that troops also rescued 15 kidnap victims during onslaughts conducted from August 29 to 31.
According to the source, troops recovered a large cache of high calibre weapons, ammunition, explosives, and illegal refined petroleum products.
The source indicated that in the Northwest zone, troops of 17 Brigade in Katsina State and 1 Brigade Combat Team in Zamfara State rescued 12 kidnap victims from terrorists’ captivity.
They also rescued some people in the Northcentral and Southeast, with Operation Whirl Stroke in Nasarawa State and 34 Artillery Brigade troops in Imo State.
Also, an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighter has surrendered to troops of 242 Recce Battalion, Nigerian Army, in Monguno Local Government Area of Borno State.
Troops also arrested several terrorist and criminal collaborators in Kano, Plateau, Taraba, Lagos, and Rivers states, recovering weapons and ammunition.
According to the source, a preliminary investigation into the surrendered ISWAP fighter showed that he had been with the group since 2013 but abandoned the insurgency due to hardship and internal divisions.
The Armed Forces have restated their opposition to the payment of ransom to bandits and criminal groups.
Speaking on national television yesterday, the Chief of Defence Operations, Maj.-Gen. Emeka Onumajuru, said experience had shown that ransom payments do not work and only embolden criminals.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria do not support the payment of money to criminal groups. The armed forces of Nigeria are not part of that arrangement,” he stated.
According to the source, a team comprising 1 Battalion Rear of the Army, other security forces, and vigilantes intensified crackdowns on suspected collaborators and logistics suppliers of criminal groups in the Northwest, raiding criminal hideouts in Kebbi and Sokoto states, where they arrested six suspected members of the notorious Lakurawa terrorist group and seized their items and cash.
He said: “In Kano and Kaduna states, troops recovered empty ammunition shells and other evidence after encounters with fleeing terrorists,” the source said.
“In Taraba State, three impostors posing as security personnel were apprehended and handed over to the Police for further investigation.”
The source reported a significant success against IPOB/ESN fighters in Imo State, where troops dismantled and destroyed their sentry posts and an improvised explosive device (IED) factory, and disposed of explosives on major routes.
“They also recovered IED detonators, CCTV cameras, and metal fragments prepared for bomb-making.”
In the Niger Delta, the troops destroyed illegally refined products, arresting two suspects with over 2,500 litres of stolen petroleum products in Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.
In Imo State, troops discovered illegally refining sites containing more than 700 litres of crude oil and refined products, which were destroyed in line with standard procedures.
According to the source, troops have also intensified arms recoveries, “arresting two armed suspects in Delta State who were found with two local pistols, a pump-action rifle, cartridges, and mobile phones.”
The source stated that the rescued victims were handed over to the appropriate authorities for reunification with their families, assuring that “the Army will continue to dismantle criminal networks, creating a safer environment to boost agriculture and support the Federal Government’s food security.
In a related operation, troops of 8 Division Garrison killed a terrorist at Gidan Garkuwa in Tureta Local Government Area of Sokoto State, recovering an AK-47 rifle and rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
“Similarly, troops of 1 Brigade made contact with armed groups at Magazu in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, leading to the recovery of motorcycles and military uniforms,” the source said.
The source noted that the coordinated operations have “significantly weakened terrorist mobility and logistics”, fostering a safer environment that will enhance agricultural activities in the region.
According to the source, the troops’ onslaught in the Northcentral region has prevented criminals’ free movement and secured major roads for commuters.
“Accordingly, troops thwarted criminal activities in Plateau State by foiling armed robbery on the Jos-Bauchi Road and responding to attempted cattle rustling in Mangu Local Government Area.”
Onumajuru explained that instead of ransom, the military operates a national Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the National Security Adviser, designed for repentant fighters who surrender and show readiness to reintegrate into society.
According to him, the DDR programme is coordinated under Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe State for the Northeast and in Zamfara State for the Northwest “to provide an alternative route for bandits who want to abandon criminality. They undergo detailed profiling to determine their culpability. Those found guilty face the law, while others are transferred to DDR centres for rehabilitation’’.
Onumajuru added that some individuals were conscripted by criminal groups and may not be culpable. Such cases, he said, are handled with care through the profiling.
He stressed the need for border communities to play an active role in securing the nation’s frontiers. “Communities must feel a sense of belonging and responsibility to help strengthen Nigeria’s borders,” he said.
