N712m Worth of Stolen Crude Recovered, 96 Terrorists Neutralized in One Week – DHQ

N712m Worth of Stolen Crude Recovered, 96 Terrorists Neutralized in One Week – DHQ

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has reported that Nigerian military troops, during operations in the northern regions, eliminated 96 terrorists and apprehended 227 suspects. Among those arrested was a terrorist commander named Usman Maisaje, who is a close associate of a high-profile terrorist leader, Kachalla Boka.

In a statement released on Friday, Major General Buba Edward, Director of Defence Media Operations, highlighted that Maisaje has been cooperative, providing valuable intelligence for ongoing military operations.

“Over the past week, our troops neutralized 96 terrorists, arrested 227 individuals, and rescued 157 kidnapped hostages,” Buba stated. He emphasized the significance of the arrest of Maisaje, noting its intelligence value.

Additionally, the DHQ revealed that troops recovered crude oil valued at N712 million in the South-South region and arrested 45 individuals involved in oil theft.

Buba detailed, “In the South-South, troops thwarted oil theft amounting to approximately N712,065,450 and apprehended 45 oil thieves. They also discovered and destroyed four dugout pits, 48 boats, 52 drums, and 38 storage tanks. Other recoveries included 55 cooking ovens, two speedboats, one tricycle, six mobile phones, six vehicles, and 60 illegal refining sites, totaling 712,535 liters of stolen crude oil and 76,800 liters of illegally refined AGO.”

Furthermore, troops seized 71 assorted weapons and 1,463 rounds of ammunition, which included 50 AK-47 rifles, 16 fabricated rifles, five Dane guns, five pump-action guns, and five locally made pistols. The recovered items also encompassed a Baofeng radio, 19 vehicles, 23 motorcycles, 35 mobile phones, and cash amounting to N4,087,630 and 46,000 CFA francs, among other items.