Eight notorious terrorists have been eliminated by Nigerian Army troops in a move to crush, the remaining terrorists and insurgents in the North East region of the nation.
During the operation, the troops recovered a haul of firearms from the criminals.
The Army in a statement on Tuesday, September 24, said in the recent round of operations, a network involved in kidnapping for ransom was smashed, with victims freed and an arms supplier captured.
“On 22 September 2024, troops stationed in Borno State thwarted an attempt by terrorists to raid villages for supplies and logistics. After an intense firefight, three of the assailants were taken out,” the statement read.
“The troops recovered one light machine gun, one AK-47 rifle, 2 hand grenades, 5 AK-47 rifle magazines, 200 linked Rounds of light Machine Gun and other materials, including Fifteen Thousand Naira (N15,000) and a Techno phone seized at the scene.”
In another clash, while acting on credible information, troops cornered terrorists escorting abducted victims through Uvaha village in Gwoza Local Government Area.
Despite heavy rainfall, the troops went after the terrorists and eliminated one of them, forcing the others to flee, and leaving behind 16 hostages. Among the freed victims were 10 men and 6 women. A follow-up search of the area uncovered two grenades, a bag of fish and sundry items.
Meanwhile, in Yobe State, troops set up a well-planned ambush while acting on intelligence about a group of terrorists receiving supplies from their collaborators. This led to the neutralization of 4 terrorists in the Mazda and Azare villages of the Gujba Local Government Area. The soldiers captured 2 AK-47 rifles and 2 empty AK-47 rifle magazines, as well as other sundry items.
Relatedly, troops deployed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja also acted on credible intelligence information about the movement of a terrorist collaborator who specialises in supplying arms and ammunition to terrorists.
The troops in synergy with other security agencies activated a stop and search operation on suspected vehicles, leading to the arrest of a suspect at the Kugbo general area of FCT.
A search conducted on the suspect led to the recovery of 178 rounds of 7.62 mm (Special) ammunition concealed in a bag of flour. Also recovered from the suspect is a mobile phone and the sum of Twenty Nine Thousand Naira (N29,000.00) only.
“All these efforts underscore the Nigerian Army’s unflinching dedication to wiping out terrorism, insurgency, and sundry crimes. The public is encouraged to keep sharing tips and useful information with security forces for prompt action. ”
