The Defence Headquarters on Friday, October 30, said the military rescued 349 kidnapped persons, killed 217 terrorists and criminals and arrested 333 suspects in nationwide operations in the month of October.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this in Abuja on Friday, October 30, during the monthly press briefing on military operations across the country.
Onoja said troops also recorded the surrender of 70 insurgents, recovered 105 firearms and 3,174 rounds of ammunition, and dismantled 49 illegal refining sites.
He said the operations, conducted between September 30 and October 30, involved what he described as sustained kinetic and non-kinetic efforts across the country’s security theatres.
According to him, troops, supported by the Air Component and other security agencies, repelled terrorist attacks, rescued abducted citizens and disrupted logistics, intelligence and arms trafficking networks.
He said one of the major operations was the killing of a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) leader, Abdussamad Ohida, in Owo Forest, Ondo State, on October 2.
Onoja described Ohida as the deputy to the ISWAP leader in Central Nigeria, who was allegedly involved in planning large-scale attacks across several states.
He said troops also repelled a major ISWAP attack on Kukawa, Borno State, between October 6 and 7, killing 25 terrorists and recovering rifles, ammunition and explosive devices.
The defence spokesman said the military, in another operation, rescued 20 abducted prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other passengers in Imo State after an attack on commercial buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway.
The victims, according to him, were rescued on October 7 following sustained pressure by troops and other security agencies.
He said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai killed 162 terrorists, rescued 39 kidnap victims, arrested 98 suspects and received the surrender of 68 insurgents in the nlNorth-East during the month.
Onoja said troops also disrupted terrorist supply and intelligence networks, arrested suspected collaborators and recovered weapons and ammunition during clearance operations in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
In the North-West, he revealed that troops of Operation Fansan Yamma killed 18 terrorists, rescued 167 kidnap victims, arrested 10 suspects and recorded one surrender.
He said the troops repelled an attack by Lakurawa terrorists in Maiyama Local Government Area of Kebbi State on October 7, adding that the attackers reportedly advanced on more than 100 motorcycles, armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
According to him, troops killed 10 terrorists and recovered a machine gun, an AK-47 rifle, ammunition and a communication device.
Onoja said the troops rescued 27 villagers abducted at Gamji community in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State on October 16.
“They also rescued nine abducted persons, comprising five males and four females, during an ambush at Ghana Village in Malumfashi on October 28.
“In the North-Central, troops of Operation Savannah Shield killed three terrorists, rescued 29 kidnap victims, arrested three suspects and facilitated one surrender.
“The operation included the rescue of 18 abducted persons in Kwara State and 29 residents in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.
“Troops also arrested a wanted terrorist kingpin and his accomplice in Mokwa, Niger State, while operations in Patigi, Kwara State, led to the killing of two kidnappers and rescue of five victims.
“Similarly, troops of Operation Enduring Peace killed six criminals, rescued 13 kidnap victims and arrested 84 suspects across Plateau and Kaduna states.
“The operations included the rescue of two persons abducted while travelling to Jos and the arrest of suspected arms traffickers and an arms fabricator,” he said.
Onoja further revealed that troops of Operation Whirl Stroke killed 24 terrorists, rescued 68 kidnap victims and arrested 71 suspects across Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Taraba states, including the rescue of five victims along the Okoloke-Isanlu-Esa axis in Kogi State and 11 passengers abducted from a commercial bus along the Ayere-Kabba Road.
According to him, troops also arrested a wanted gunrunner and militia leader in Benue State, as well as suspected arms dealers and kidnappers in Taraba State.
In the South-South, he said the troops of Operation Delta Safe killed two criminals and arrested 45 suspects.
Onoja said the troops also dismantled 49 illegal refining sites and recovered 756,837 litres of petroleum products in collaboration with Operation Delta Sentinel, among other operations carried out by the soldiers.
