28th April, 2022
By Sumaila Ogbaje
Nigerian troops battling bandits in the Northwest under the code name Operation Hadarin Daji have eliminated over 62 terrorists, arrested 79 others and rescued 179 kidnapped victims across the region in the past three weeks.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, stated this on Thursday in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the operations of the armed forces in the last three weeks.
Onyeuko said the troops had on April 10 eliminated scores of terrorists and rescued 50 victims comprising 32 women and 18 children at Wanzamai in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara.
He said the troops had continued to record successes across Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna State, leading to recovery of 592 rustled cattle, 45 different assorted weapons, 80 rounds of different caliber ammunition and 50 motorcycles during the period.
“Troops also rescued 179 civilians, neutralised 62 terrorists and apprehended 100 terrorists.
“All recovered items, rescued and apprehended terrorists were handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action,’’ he said.
On Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Onyeuko said the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor embarked on stakeholder’s engagement in five Local Government Areas of Southern Kaduna.
According to him, the CDS also interacted with retired military senior officers in the zone to chart ways of bringing the incessant attacks in the area to an end.
He stressed that the visit had impacted positively on the peace efforts in the area.
Onyeuko said the commander of OPSH, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Ali, handed over 517 small arms and light weapons recovered from criminals to the National Centre for the control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
He said the commander handed the weapons to the North Central Coordinator of NCCSALW, retired Maj.-Gen. Hamza Bature at OPSH Headquarters in Jos.
According to him, the breakdown of the weapons include 26 AK 47 rifles, one FN, two Barreta rifles, three G3 rifles, six Barreta pistols, nine Harris Bing pistols and one SMG.
“Others are 183 locally fabricated rifles, 163 dane guns, 102 locally fabricated pistols, 19 locally fabricated SMGs, six single barrel guns and pump action gun,” he said.
(NAN)