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  • Remembrances Day: Remain vigilant, uncompromising, CDS charges troops

    Remembrances Day: Remain vigilant, uncompromising, CDS charges troops

    The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has charged officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Armed Forces to continue to remain vigilant and uncompromising in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.

    He also charged them to remain resolute in defeating all forms of security threats to ensure enduring peace and security in every area of our dear nation.

    The CDS said this on Sunday, January 14, in his goodwill message on the occasion of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day 2024.

    The Armed Forces Remembrance Day is celebrated on January 15 every year to honour troops of the Nigerian military who died in the cause of defending the country against adversaries.

    Gen. Musa said the day holds “great significance as it provides us the opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices, bravery, and commitment of our fallen heroes in defending the territorial integrity of our country.”

    He said: “As we all know, this event is conducted annually to commemorate the unwavering commitment and heroism demonstrated by our nation’s servicemen and women in various military operations. Additionally, this day holds great significance as it provides us the opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices, bravery and commitment of our fallen heroes in defending the territorial integrity of our country. We remember and pay our collective tribute to them for their sacrifices not just today, but every day as they gave ‘their today’ for ‘our tomorrow’.

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    “On this special occasion, let me also honour and acknowledge the immeasurable contributions of our gallant officers and men both serving and retired. Your selfless dedication to service in protecting our nation’s freedom and security has resulted in the relative peace which we enjoy today.”

    The CDS assured the troops of his “unremitting support as they continue to “uphold our values of respect for the rule of law, professionalism, loyalty to constituted authority, discipline, selfless service, and courage.”

     “For those who have suffered one form of injury or the other, we appreciate you and we will continue to pray for your quick recovery,” he said.

    “Similarly, for those who have passed on, we thank you for your great sacrifices. Always remember that all your efforts and steadfast devotion in defence of our democracy and national unity in line with our constitutional roles will never be in vain.

    “As we reflect on the gains achieved so far, I charge you to remain resolute in defeating all forms of security threats to ensure enduring peace and security in every area of our dear nation.

    “On my own part, I will continue to prioritize your welfare while steering the affairs of the armed forces in line with my leadership philosophy.”

  • Troops eliminate 86 terrorists, apprehend 101 in one week

    Troops eliminate 86 terrorists, apprehend 101 in one week

    The Defence Headquarters says the military has eliminated no fewer than 86 terrorists and other criminals and apprehended 101 others in different operations across the country in the last one week.

    The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, said this while giving an update on the operations of the military on Thursday in Abuja.

    Buba said the troops had in the last one week, focussed on striking terrorists’ enclaves from air attacks and also exerted significant superior power on areas where the terrorists were hibernating.

    According to him, the operations resulted in 86 neutralised terrorists with 101 of them arrested and 21 kidnapped persons rescued.

    He said the troops also recovered 111 assorted weapons and 1,124 assorted ammunition comprising 65 AK47 rifles, one HK G3 gun, one G3 rifle, eight locally fabricated guns and 15 dane guns.

    “Also recovered are, two fabricated rifles, one locally made pistol, one english pistol, one pump action gun, two auto pump action guns, and two single barrel guns.

    “Others are: 14 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 993 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, five rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammo, five rounds of 7.62mm x 39mm and 99 live cartridges.

    “Troops also recovered one round of 9mm ammo, two bandoliers, two fabricated swords, 13 magazines, five vehicles, 29 motorcycles, six bicycles, mobile phones and one GTA radio, amongst other items,” he said.

    In the North East, Buba said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai neutralised 20 terrorists, apprehended four and rescued 40 kidnapped persons as well as recovery of cache of arms.

    Read Also: Zamfara: Army denies alleged poor feeding, non payment of troops allowances

    He said the air component conducted air interdiction on terrorists’ logistics base in Sambisa general area on Jan. 5 and killed several terrorists and destroyed their logistics.

    He added that similar air strikes were conducted on terrorists’ settlement on the outskirts of the Tumbuns in the Lake Chad region on Jan. 6, with rockets and cannons.

    According to him, battle damage assessment revealed that several terrorists were neutralised and logistics destroyed in the air strike.

    “Between Jan. 3 and Jan. 9, a total of 111 BH/ISWAP terrorists and their families comprising four adult males, 38 adult females and 69 children surrendered to troops within the theatre operations,” he said.

    In the North West, Buba said the troops of Operations Hadarin Daji and Whirl Punch neutralised 69 terrorists, arrested 25 and rescued 63 hostages within the week.

    He added that the air component conducted air interdiction on notorious terrorist Kingpin Ado Aliero’s enclave in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara.

    According to him, the terrorists were led by a leader identified as Isuhu Dogo, an associate and sibling of the notorious Aliero.

    “After a confirmatory ISR, the location was acquired and attacked with bombs and rockets. Feedback revealed that several terrorists were neutraliswed and their structures destroyed.

    “Another air interdiction at terrorist kingpin Hamisu Mopol’s enclave in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State, killed several terrorists and structures were destroyed,” he added.

    In the North Central, the defence spokesman said the troops of Operation Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke arrested 21 violent extremists and rescued 27 kidnapped persons. (NAN)Troops eliminate 86 terrorists, apprehend 101 in 1 week

  • Troops kill 14 bandits, rescue kidnap victims in Kaduna, Niger

    Troops kill 14 bandits, rescue kidnap victims in Kaduna, Niger

    Troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army in coordinated offensives in Kaduna and Niger states have killed 14 terrorists and rescued several kidnap victims.

    The troops also recovered weapons during the operations, Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya, the Acting Deputy Director Army Relations 1 Division Nigerian Army, made this known in a statement.

    The operation by troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army(NA) was aimed at ridding the troubled states of violent extremists, insurgents and  criminal elements, Lt. Colonel Yahaya said.

    According to his statement, in Niger State, on December 23, 2023 troops set out to clear the remnant of insurgent elements in the state. Troops made contact at Madawaki,  Shiroro Local Government and neutralised two insurgents with others fleeing with gunshot wounds. “Troops recovered two AK rifles, two AK rifle magazines and one motorcycle in this encounter.”

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    He said further that the troops proceeded to the camp of eliminated insurgents leader, Ali Kachalla, where his foot soldiers cowardly absconded on troops’ approach. Search of the camp led to the rescue of 13 kidnap victims, all men.

    “The victims revealed to have been abducted in Niger State on October 13, 2023. Items recovered from the camp included an international passport suspected to belong to a high profile affiliate of the insurgents. “A few military and warlike accessories were also discovered at the camp. Rescued persons were taken to a military medical facility for medical attention and subsequently reunited with their families.”

  • Troops kill 40 terrorists, arrest 191 criminals

    Troops kill 40 terrorists, arrest 191 criminals

    Troops on operations across the country have killed 40 terrorists and arrested 191 others in the past week.

    They also recovered 72 assorted weapons and 338 assorted ammunition during several operations.

    The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, made this known yesterday during a briefing at the Defence Headquarters.

    He said troops also arrested 68 oil thieves and rescued 80 kidnap victims. 

    Providing further updates on troops’ operations in the past week, the defence spokesperson said troops in the Niger Delta recovered 406,500 litres of stolen crude oil, 252,112 litres of illegally refined diesel, 3,158 litres of kerosene and 10,800 litres of petrol.

    He said troops also destroyed 23 dugout pits, 30 boats, 99 storage tanks, two motorcycles and 13 vehicles.

    Other items recovered include 135 cooking ovens, one speedboat, five pump machines, two motorcycles and 68 illegal refining sites. 

    The military high command said troops seized large cache of arms and ammunition during the operations.

    The weapons recovered, according to the defence spokesperson, include 20 AK47 rifles, six FN rifles, eight pump action guns, four locally fabricated rifle and 19 Dane guns.

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    The ammunition recovered, according to him, are 2 x 36 hand grenades, 165 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 100 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 1,085 rounds 7.62mm x 56mm ammo, 5.56mm x 45mm ammo, 84 rounds 12.7mm ammo and 12 live cartridges.

    Others are one PKM barrel, one locally made bomb, 2 RPG charger, one bandolier, 34 magazines, 10 vehicles, 32 mobile phones, 18 motorcycles, 23 bicycles, six boafeng HH radios, the sum of N895,900.00, among other items.

    Buba said the armed forces are determined to end terrorism and insecurity across the country. 

    He said: “Accordingly, troops are strategically deployed to conduct operations across the country in order to create a safe environment for citizens to go about their lawful duties and activities. 

    “We are carrying out attacks on the terrorist enclaves and strongholds, aimed at eliminating the leadership and foot soldiers of these terror groups. Troops will continue to go after these terrorists and apply military pressure to destroy them and their cohorts across the country.”

  • Troops raid IPOB/ESN camps in Anambra, naturalise one, recover firearms

    Troops raid IPOB/ESN camps in Anambra, naturalise one, recover firearms

    Troops of Exercise GOLDEN DAWN III have raided camps of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Orsumoghu general area of Anambra.

    The troops, who achieved the feat in conjunction with personnel of the Nigerian Navy, the Nigeria Police and local vigilante operatives, also naturalised one armed ESN member and recovered one pump action rifle.

    This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Tuesday by Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, acting Deputy Director, 82 Division Army Public Relations.

    Unuakhalu said that the raid was carried out on Monday, Dec 11, 2023 based on a timely and credible intelligence on activities of the dissidents and outlawed group.

    “During the operations, the gallant troops cleared and destroyed IPOB/ESN camps. One of the terrorists was naturalised while others escaped with gunshot wounds and one pump action rifle was recovered,” he said.

    Read Also: Troops kill 52 terrorists, arrest ISWAP leader in Bauchi

    In the same vein, on Dec. 9, troops on patrol along Orsumoghu-Ukpor Road in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra, came in contact with members of the irredentist group.

    “However, due to superior fire power, the criminals were forced to abandon their location.

    “Items recovered included 27 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm ammunition, three locally made hand grenades, two handheld radios, one pair of NPF uniform, a fragmental jacket and charms,” he said.

    The army spokesman recalled that Exercise GOLDEN DAWN III was recently inaugurated in the South-East to complement the security architecture of the region during and after the yuletide period.

    The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Hassan Dada, enjoined members of the public to support the Nigerian Army and other security agencies with credible information.

    “The public should do this through the Emergency Telephone Line ‘193’ to enhance the fight against terrorism and other criminal activities.

    “Citizens are also encouraged to go about their normal daily activities and businesses without fear of intimidation,” he added. (NAN)

  • Troops kill 52 terrorists, arrest ISWAP leader in Bauchi

    Troops kill 52 terrorists, arrest ISWAP leader in Bauchi

    The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops of the Nigerian military and Department of State Service (DSS) have arrested a leader of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Bauchi state.

    It said the ISWAP leader was arrested during a sting operation by the troops, on November 29, at Tarum Village located on the outside of Bauchi Metropolis.

    Although the DHQ didn’t reveal the name, it said the ISWAP leader was incharge of North Central and North West zones.

    The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, December 1.

    According to the military high command, the arrest of the ISWAP leader was part of troops’ efforts at “targeting the leadership of terrorist groups to ensure they pose no further threat to the safety and security of citizens.”

    Buba said ongoing military operations across the country have continued to decimate the fighting force of terrorists and other criminal elements, and reduced their fighting capacity.

    He said: “The leadership of these groups remain the prime targets of ongoing operations. Accordingly, the armed forces remains determinate to destroy the terrorists, insurgents and violent extremist groups in the country and degrading their military capability,” Buba said.

    Read Also: Troops kill four terrorists, recover 57 rustled cows in Zamfara

    The defence spokesperson said airstrikes by Nigerian Air Force (NAF’) aircrafts have destroyed several enclaves of terrorist leaders in the North West and North Central zones in the past week.

    Buba said: “The operations of the week in focus resulted in 52 neutralized terrorists, while 204 of them were arrested. 

    “Troops also arrested 58 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 234 kidnapped hostages. 

    “In the South South zone, troops recovered 267,700 litres of stolen crude oil, 567,700 litres of illegally refined diesel and 5,000 litres of kerosene.

    “Troops destroyed 7 dugout pits, 25 boats, 47 storage tanks, 5 vehicles, 141 cooking ovens, one pumping machine, one outboard engine, one tricycle, one speedboat, one tugboat and 51 illegal refining sites.”

    According to defence spokesperson, troops recovered 46 assorted weapons and 148 assorted ammunition, comprising 30 AK47 rifles, two josef magnum pump action gun, one double barrel gun, two single barrel guns, 12 locally made pistols, 13 dane guns, one hand grenade, nine locally made rifles, 3 RPG chargers, two locally made hand grenades.

     Others, according to Buba, are 120 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 364 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 54 live cartridges, 11 rounds of empty cases of 7.62mm special ammo, 32 magazines, 34 vehicles, 64 mobile phones, 47 motorcycles and sum of N1,582,690.00 amongst other items.

  • Troops kill 50 terrorists, arrest 122 criminals

    Troops kill 50 terrorists, arrest 122 criminals

    The Defence Headquarters says troops on operations across the country have killed 50 terrorists and arrested 122 criminals in the past week.

    It said the troops also arrested 49 of oil thieves and rescued 182 kidnap victims during several operations.

    The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, disclosed this in a statement yesterday.

    He said: ” Troops recovered 66 assorted weapons and 11,474 assorted ammunition, comprising one conqueror APC, one GPMG, one NSVT gun, one GT3 rifle, 25 AK47 rifles, four pump action gun, two  locally made AK47 rifles, three locally made guns, one locally made revolver gun, four locally fabricated pistols and 4 long dane guns, two locally made hand grenades, and one bandolier.

    “Others are 574 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 640 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 150 rounds of 12.7mm ammo, five rounds of 9mm ammo, 10,520 live cartridges, five vehicles, 27 mobile phones, 12 motorcycle, three boafeng radios, one Motorolla HHR, three bicycles, one solar panel, one solar charger controller, one radio receiver and the sum of N75,909,290.00 amongst other items.”

    The military high command said troops in the Niger Delta area destroyed 242 dugout pits, 49 boats, 78 storage tanks, one tricycle, 21 vehicles, 104 cooking ovens, three pumping machines, seven outboard engines and 49 illegal refining sites.

    “Troops recovered 151,850 litres of stolen crude oil, 48,630 litres of illegally refined AGO and 10,125 litres of DPK,” he said.

    Read Also: Troops kill 50 terrorists, arrest 122 criminals – DHQ

    Buba said the military would continue to apply strong  pressure on the terrorists and other criminal elements.

    He said: “The terrorists and their cohorts  would continue to suffer heavy casualties. It is in their interest to surrender as it’s being done in the NE of the country to avoid eventual destruction.

    “The military continues to target the leadership and chain of command of the terrorists, insurgents and extremists undermining the security of citizens in the country.

    “The ongoing counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations are making the country safer each passing  day that these evil forces are decimated. The armed forces is on course with its operations which are yielding encouraging results.”

  • ‘Troops should neutralise attacks on Borno, Yobe communities’

    ‘Troops should neutralise attacks on Borno, Yobe communities’

    The House of Representatives yesterday asked the Army to immediately mobilise troops to the communities in Borno and Yobe states attacked by terrorists.

    Read Also: Troops neutralise three bandits, recover weapons in Kaduna

    Adopting two motions of urgent public importance by Ahmed Satomi (APC, Borno) and Lawan Shettima Ali (APC, Yobe), the House asked the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), North East Development Commission (NEDC), and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to mobilise humanitarian and relief materials to the affected communities. 

  • Troops neutralise three bandits, recover weapons in Kaduna

    Troops neutralise three bandits, recover weapons in Kaduna

    Troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army and operation Whirl Punch have neutralised three suspected terrorists and recovered weapons in Kaduna State.

    Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations 1 Division Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Musa Yahaya, made this known in a statement yesterday.

    He said on November 5, 2023, while on clearance operation in the general area of Maidaro, Ngade, Ahla and Rikau villages in Birnin Gwari Local Government, troops made contact with terrorists and criminals. 

    He said: “On sighting the troops, the terrorists took to their heels, as troops pursued and neutralised two, while others escaped with gunshot injuries. They abandoned one motorcycle.” 

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    The Army spokesman said similarly, on November 5, troops carried out a discreet operation around Tantatu and Antena general area in Chikun Local Government. During the operation, troops neutralised one terrorist, seized  one AK 47 rifle, one AK 47 magazine, quantity seven of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition and two techno phones. 

    “The General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army and Force Commander Operation Whirl Punch, Maj.-Gen. V. U. Okoro, has lauded the troops for their resilience and urged them to sustain the tempo until all terrorists and criminals in the Division’s Area of Responsibility are annihilated.

  • Troops kill bandits, arrest 73 kidnappers

    Troops of Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) on Operation HAKORIN DAMISA IV, in coordinated operations between October 16 and 22, neutralised suspected bandits and arrested 73 suspects in connection with kidnapping, criminal attacks, cattle rustling, gunrunning and farm destruction.

    They also recovered arms/ammunition and illicit drugs. 

    On October 18, troops of Operation HAKORIN DAMISA IV arrested 16 suspects in connection with the murder of two women, Victoria Wetsan and Nagung Sale, while working on a farmland at Binkwaghas Village, Panyam district of Mangu Local Government. Also on October 19, troops arrested two suspects, Mohammed Yusuf and Aliyu Adamu, in connection with the isolated killing of Yahaya Adams at Kibul forest in Riyom Local Government of Plateau State. 

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    Additionally, troops on October 19 arrested four suspects, Anass Abdullahi, Abdulmalik Abdullahi, Aliyu and Nuhu Mohammed for attacking Mr Irimiya Nuhu and Arron Anthony along Gwom-Kwok village in Barkin Ladi Local Government.

    Furthermore, on October 21, troops of Sector 6 arrested Yusuf Idris at Polewire general area in Riyom Local Government for attempted murder.

    On October 16, troops arrested four suspects, Mr Philip Kwam, Juak Anyuwu, Daniel Benjamin and Ezekiel Samuel for harbouring criminals and in possession of illicit hard drugs, following a raid operation on the criminals’ hideout.

    On October 20, troops in conjunction with Vigilante Group of Nigeria arrested Bukam Daniel in connection with a theft at Gol village in Bokkos Local Government.