For the past one week, the military and other security agencies have degraded Boko haram, bandits and other criminal elements across the country, through robust operations and intelligence, and synergy with other security agencies.
The Coordinator Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, disclosed this Thursday while updating journalists on the operational activities of the military in trouble spots across the country.
Giving the breakdown of the military operations, Enenche said Special Operation Forces have been deployed to Southern Kaduna, even as troops of Operation Safe Haven have continued to intensify efforts in the area, a move he said is expected to achieve the desired result.
In the North-west zone, he said troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI have continued the aggressive clearance operations in the area, which he said have resulted in downward trend in the activities of armed bandits and cattle rustlers in the areas of Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara, Sokoto and adjoining states.
“Most of these criminal elements have been decimated, and gradually there is restoration of human activities in the zone. Farmers have returned to their farms while other economic activities have picked up across the zone,” Enenche said.
“The troops have continued to dominate the general area with clearance patrols, aggressive fighting patrols and confidence-building patrols.”
On the activities Operation DELTA SAFE in the South South, the Defence Media Coordinator said within the period under review, the Nigerian Navy Ship PATHFINDER patrol team discovered and deactivated an Illegal Refining Site at Yellow Platform off Onne, Rivers State, with two metal reservoirs laden with an estimated 314.49 barrels of crude oil and 90,000 litres of illegally refined AGO.
According to him, Nigerian Navy Ship DELTA patrol team discovered and eactivated Illegal Refining Site along Lokpobiri in Burutu LGA of Delta State, with 23 ovens, 15 surface metal storage tanks and nine dug out pits “cumulatively laden with about 195,000 litres of products suspected to be illegally refined AGO.” He said the team also discovered a speed boat laden with four sacks containing unspecified quantity of illegally refined AGO and three pumping machines, were found at the site.
“Accordingly, the site was deactivated while the speed boat with its content was recovered to the Base,” he said.
On Operation AWATSE in the South west, Enenche said troops impounded a wooden boat with a sack containing 45 jerrycans of 25 litres, one 2.2 inches capacity hose of about 300 metres in length at Ibeshe area. The items were evacuated to ATLAS COVE camp.
“Troops also arrested a suspect in possession of some jerrycans of product suspected to be PMS and at Abule glass. The suspect was handed over to Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT patrol team. He is currently in custody at the Base while arrangements are ongoing to hand him over to appropriate prosecuting agency,” he said.
On the battle against Boko haram in the North east, the Defence Media Coordinator said the military have recorded successes against the terrorists through a sustained tempo in its operations.
“Within the period under review, gentlemen of the press you could attest to the fact that there has been reduction in the number of incidences recorded so far from the zone,” he said.
“ That is an evidence of own troops overwhelming superiority over the criminal elements which have drastically degraded the operational capabilities of the Boko haram and Islamic West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters.
He said troops have continued to sustain “clearance operations, aggressive patrols and Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance missions, sustained air offensive operations as well as artillery and aerial bombardments in the theatre of operation.”
