Nigerian Troops Achieve Major Milestone: 135 Terrorists Eliminated, 185 Suspects Arrested in a Week In a significant boost to Nigeria’s fight against insecurity, troops of the Nigerian military have neutralized 135 terrorists, arrested 185 suspects, and rescued 129 kidnapped hostages during operations conducted across the country over the past week. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, provided these updates during a weekly press briefing held at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Saturday. Keywords: Nigerian military operations, terrorist surrender, hostages rescued, oil theft, security in Nigeria Terrorist Surrenders Increasing in the North Central General Buba highlighted that sustained military offensives have forced several terrorists in the North Central region to surrender. He attributed these surrenders to both relentless military pressure and collaborative non-kinetic efforts with key stakeholders aimed at encouraging defections. “Notable terrorist leaders and combatants, including Yellow Jambros, Alhaji Mallam, and Lawal Kwalba, have voluntarily surrendered. More are indicating interest in laying down their arms,” Buba stated. Despite the surrenders, the military remains committed to maintaining high operational intensity to neutralize remaining threats or encourage further defections. Impressive Gains in Counter-Terrorism Efforts In the past week, military operations resulted in: 135 terrorists neutralized 185 suspects arrested 129 hostages rescued Weapons and Equipment Recovered The troops also recovered a large cache of weapons and ammunition, including: 72 AK-47 rifles 11 fabricated rifles 4 hand grenades 2,415 rounds of various ammunition 15 vehicles 46 motorcycles 28 mobile phones Combating Oil Theft in the Niger Delta In the Niger Delta region, troops intensified efforts against illegal oil refining and theft, dismantling 93 crude oil cooking ovens, 82 illegal refining sites, and 41 storage tanks.Recovered items included: 909,800 liters of stolen crude oil 71,060 liters of illegally refined diesel (AGO) 13,580 liters of petrol (PMS) Innovation in Security Operations General Buba reaffirmed the military’s commitment to finding innovative solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges. “We remain in a winning position in the fight against insecurity,” he concluded, emphasizing the ongoing success of Nigeria’s armed forces.
A new armed group known as Lakurawa has reportedly killed 15 people and stolen over 100 cattle in Mera, located in Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State. Alhaji Bashir Isah Mera (Yariman Mera), a notable figure in the area, confirmed to Daily Trust that the attack occurred as residents were preparing for Jumat prayers. The armed group took away more than 100 cattle during the raid. In response, hundreds of townspeople mobilized and chased the attackers into the bush, attempting to reclaim the stolen livestock. This led to a gunfight in which 15 people from the town were killed, while two of the attackers were also reportedly killed. Mera noted that the Lakurawa group operates from their hideouts in the forests of Sokoto, coordinating such attacks from there. Initially, their activities involved seizing cattle and demanding ‘Zakat’ payments from the owners without causing fatalities. However, this attack marked the first time they had taken lives in the town. Governor Nasir Idris contacted Mera twice, expressing deep concern over the violence and ordering the deployment of military forces to help stabilize the community. Additionally, the commander of Dukku barracks, along with the heads of DSS and the police, have mobilized joint security forces to restore peace in Mera and surrounding areas. The Deputy Governor, Senator Abubakar Umar Tafida, and the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Mera, visited the town to offer condolences to the families of the victims. They assured residents that the governor is committed to protecting the community from future assaults by the group. Efforts to reach SP Nafiu Abubakar, the Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi State Police Command, for comments were unsuccessful at the time of reporting. READ ALSO:
