In the past week, Nigerian forces have reportedly arrested 368 people and neutralized no fewer than 254 terrorists in various operation areas across the nation, according to the Defence Headquarters, or DHQ.

In a statement made in Abuja, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media activities, disclosed this information while providing an update on military activities.

According to him, terrorist elements have been prevented from achieving their strategic goals by the ongoing counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations.

Buba stated that the military would keep weakening the criminals’ capacity to conduct small-scale assaults meant to spread fear throughout the nation’s operating theatres.

“During the review week, troops freed 73 hostages who had been kidnapped, neutralised 254 and arrested 264, including 104 oil theft perpetrators.

“In addition, 378 different weapons and 4,705 different rounds were discovered by the troops. These included 131 AK-47 rifles, two FN rifles, two G3 rifles, three SMGs, 69 locally made firearms, and 57 pump action guns,” the statement read.

Buba, said that Operation Hadin Kai forces in the Northeast killed 63 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists, captured 13, and retrieved 47 AK-47 rifles from a sizable stash of weapons and ammo.

He added that during the course of the week, 81 terrorists and members of their families—28 adult males, 78 adult females, and 147 children—turned themselves in to the military in the Borno local government areas of Bama and Damboa.

He alleged that within a week, the forces of Operations Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke in the North Central region had neutralised 35 rebels, detained 72 others, and freed five hostages who had been kidnapped in Benue, the Plateau, and Taraba States.

In the northwest, as reported by Buba, the forces of Operation Hadarin Daji killed 128 rebels, detained 27, and freed 65 captives who had been taken in several confrontations in the states of Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto.

Furthermore, he stated that the troops found 124 AK-47 rifles, 30 locally made weapons, six pump action guns, 1,233 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 986 rounds of 7.62mm special, 54 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and 99 live cartridges.

42 suspected illegal miners and militants were detained by Operation Whirl Punch troops this past week, says Buba, at a mining site in Kwali Area Council, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

In various sections of Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory, he added, the forces also neutralised 14 rebels and detained 54 more.

Operation Delta Safe forces, on the basis of Buba’s, found and demolished 67 illicit refining plants in the Niger Delta region, along with 131 dugout pits, 70 boats, 125 storage tanks, and 12 vehicles.

43 cooking ovens, 12 pumping equipment, 6 speed boats, and 1 outboard motor are among the additional objects that were found.

Further, he added, “troops seized 5.925 litres of DPK, 224,050 litres of illicitly refined AGO, and 3.28 million litres of stolen crude oil.”

Operation UDO KA forces, according to Buba, neutralised 28 rebels in the South East, apprehended two violent extremists, freed a hostage who had been kidnapped, and retrieved weapons and ammunition.

He stated that the troops of Operation AWATSE had successfully carried out a cordon and search operation in the southwest, where they had captured nine suspected terrorists and freed four hostages who had been kidnapped in the districts of Lagos State known as Badagry and Ikorodu.