DHQ: 996 Terrorists, Families Surrender to Troops

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said yesterday that a total of 996 Boko Haram terrorists and their families comprising 203 adult males, 302 adult females and 491 children surrendered to troops at different locations in Borno State.

It said the insurgents and their families surrendered to troops in the past two weeks following sustained offensive on their locations even as troops decimated 90 insurgents within two weeks.

At a media briefing in Abuja, Acting Director, Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Brig. Gen. Benard Onyeuko, said 90 insurgents were killed while 21 others were arrested.

“No fewer than 90 terrorists were neutralised and 21 of others arrested” by troops of Operation Hadin Kai in the North-east.

“Also, 98 assorted weapons, including AK-47 rifles and 2,589 rounds of ammunition were recovered within the perio while seven kidnapped civilians were rescued”, he said.

He said troops in search of terrorists in Baga town arrested a notorious terrorist named, Mr. Haladu Saleh, who has been on security forces’ wanted list since 2018.

Similarly, along Bukarti – Yusufari road and Maima Hari Checkpoint along Biu – Damboa road, troops intercepted and impounded BHT logistics supplies.

Onyeuko said that following credible intelligence on terrorists’ activities in Karawar village, troops raided their enclave and recovered arms and ammunition as well as assorted drugs and arrested two drug peddlers named; Mr Ezekiel Karson and Galadima Bako with large quantities of cannabis sativa.

He also said that over 50 terrorists were neutralized and several of their combat equipment, including gun trucks and other weapons destroyed during counter-offensive operations in which “some of our gallant officers and soldiers paid the supreme prize.”

According to him, terrorists fighting vehicles as well as large caches of arms and ammunition were recovered by troops during the encounter in a coordinated ground and air attacks that led to the repel of terrorists attack on troops at Askira Uba in Borno State on November 13.

He stated that the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai killed terrorists in offensive air strikes in a location within Baga near the Lake Chad.

“This was achieved on the heels of credible intelligence and after careful aerial surveillance revealed the gathering of some key members and fighters of the terrorists who arrived the location aboard several boats, he said.

“Consequently, the theatre commander dispatched a force package of NAF’s platforms to strike the location in successive turns, which led to the neutralization of scores of their key members and fighters of the insurgents.

In same stride, troops of Operation Delta Safe cumulatively discovered and immobilised a total of 41 illegal refining sites, 33 ovens, 24 cooking pots/boilers, eight cooling systems, 32 reservoirs, 43 large dugout pits and 93 storage tanks.

“A total of 795,500 litres of illegally refined AGO; 60,000 litres of DPK and 6,395,420 litres of stolen crude were recovered in the course of the operations”, he stated.

Onyeuko said that 26 criminal elements associated with pipeline vandalism, piracy, illegal oil bunkering and armed robbery were arrested within the period in Delta area even as troops recovered a total of 27 assorted arms and 586 rounds of assorted ammunition in the course of the operations.