By Harriet Tornguvan -Abuja
Nigerian forces have successfully reclaimed more than 53 million liters of stolen crude oil and refined petroleum products, effectively denying oil thieves an estimated N57 billion in 2024.
Defence Spokesperson Major General Edward Buba disclosed some major achievements of the Armed forces he said, troops adopted a high level of alert and an increased state of readiness to protect the country from further terrorist aggression and insecurity.
He emphasized that these accomplishments were recorded across the five active operational theaters, the North-East (NE), North-West (NW), North-Central (NC), South-South (SS), and South-East (SE), where troops have encountered diverse security challenges.
In a successful fight of insurgents in the country, troops aggression across the various theatres of Operation since the beginning of the year culminated in 8,034 neutralized terrorists, 11,623 arrest and 6,376 rescued hostages.
Furthermore, troops recovered 8,216 weapons, 211,459 ammunitions and denied the oil theft of an estimated sum over #57 bn (N57,052,218,551.00) only.
General Buba stated that the breakdown of the recoveries of 4,053 AK47 rifles, 1,123 locally fabricated guns, 731 dane guns and 240 pump action guns. Others included are, 120,247 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 41,515 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 5,373 cartridges, 1,940 assorted arms and 25,664 assorted ammunitions.
General Buba emphasized the relentless pressure being maintained in various theatres of operation. "Through these operations, the military is increasingly creating conditions where terrorists are unable to perpetrate acts of terror or harm citizens," he stated.
He further highlighted the military's commitment to constant improvement. "The Armed Forces are continually examining ways to enhance the effectiveness of their operations and ensure the safety of all citizens," he added.
General Buba reaffirmed the adaptability and progress of the Nigerian Armed Forces, noting that they are steadily advancing toward victory in the fight against terrorism and insecurity.
