The Nigerian Military has said the recent attacks in the North-East and North-Western region such as the killing of 40 farmers in terrorist attack on Dumba community, near Baga in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State on the 12th of January was caused by influx of terrorists from the Sahel region.
The Director, Defence Media Operations Major General Edward Buba has said despite the occasional setbacks, the military is committed to winning the war against terrorists and insurgency across the country.
During the media briefing on military operations which held today at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja; he said the troops neutralised 156 and arrested 464 persons. Troops also arrested 29 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 181 kidnapped hostages. In the South-South region, troops denied the oil theieves the estimated sum of Six Hundred and Twenty Three Million, Four Hundred and Forty Seven Thousand, Three Hundred and Ninety Naira (N623,447,390.00) only.
Furthermore, Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 48 crude oil cooking ovens, 10 dugout pits, 56 storage tanks and 46 illegal refining sites. Troops also recovered 705,294 litres of stolen crude oil, 6,865 litres of illegally refined AGO, 1,500 litres of DPK and 800 litres of PMS.
Other items recovered include 28 boats,8 pumping machines and 6 speedboats. Additional are:3 outboard engines, 6 drums, 8 motorcycles, one mobile phone and 8 vehicles among others.
He assured the citizenry that the military is profoundly conscious of its role and responsibility in ending insurgency and terrorism in the nation as the life of any personnel lost in battle contributes to making the nation a safer place and the Armed Forces Remembrance Day was a stack reminder that our fallen heroes have not died in vain.
