Nigerian military personnel have neutralized at least 150 terrorsts in different operations throughout the nation’s northern region.
During the biweekly briefing at the Defense Headquarters in Abuja, Major General Musa Danmadami, Director of Defence Media Operations, revealed this.
He said that some 100 terrorists, including collaborators, logistical providers, and spies for Boko Haram and the Islami States West Africa, had also been detained.
Since December 1, 2022, around 423 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters have also turned themselves in, to the military in a variety of operations, according to Major General Danmadami, while numerous kidnapped civilians have been freed from terrorists’ camps.
“Troops also recovered 20 AK47 rifles, 2 G3 rifles, 5 FN rifles, 2 QJC guns, 1 gun truck, 2,411 rounds of 7.62mm special, 143 belted rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 1 barreta pistol, 26 AK47 magazines, 4 bandoliers, 4 x 36 hand grenades, 1 x 42 hand grenade, 1 RPG tube, 1 HEAP bomb, 1 HEAT bomb, 1 mortar tube, 2 mortar tripod stands and a 60mm mortar bomb. Other items recovered are 33 motorcycles, 33 bicycles, medical suppliers, 50 pieces of males and females fabrics, bags of grains, jerrycans of groundnut oil, cartons of detergents, the sum of N291,060.00 and other sundry items, in the North East,” he said.
The Defence spokesman addressed the recent controversy surrounding the airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force at the Malale-Mutumji community in Zamfara State, in which some allegedly innocent civilians were killed, and stated that an investigation has been opened to determine whether there were any collateral damages.
But he insisted that the bombing was carried out with surgical precision and that the targeted criminal elements were destroyed.
He believed that the military would never conduct an airstrike that resulted in the death of innocent people.
“In fact, the moment we realize an attack on criminal elements would lead to collateral damages, we normally call off such operations,” he added.