The Nigerian armed forces are turning the tide against terrorists and violent extremists across the country through their operations.
The Defence Headquarters says the terror groups' support bases are equally being dislocated as a result of the ongoing operations.
This week, a statement from the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said troops in the North Central theatre intercepted and apprehended two ammunition couriers collaborating with the terrorists.
Two people, identified as Danweri and Abubakar Hamza, were arrested in Alkaleri LGA of Bauchi State, and they are cooperating with troops.
The statement stated that during the week under review, troops neutralized 148 and arrested 258 persons. "Troops also arrested 51 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 291 kidnapped hostages."
The military equally denied the theft of oil worth an estimated sum of Seven Hundred and Ninety-Eight Million One Hundred and Forty-Six Thousand Four Hundred and Seventy Naira (N798,146,470.00) only.
General Buba said that troops recovered 146 assorted weapons and 2,599 assorted ammunition
The breakdown of the operations showed that a total of two PKT guns, 72 AK47 rifles, 33 fabricated rifles, 28 Dane guns, two locally made SMGs, three locally made pistols, two pump action guns, one RPG bomb, one RPG tube, and 39 magazines were recovered.
"Others are: 1,596 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 636 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 111 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm ammo, 114 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 25 rounds of 9mm ammo, 98 live cartridges, three Baofeng radios, three vehicles, 36 motorcycles, 40 mobile phones and the sum of N1,838,000.00 amongst other items."
In the Niger Delta area, troops discovered and destroyed 68 crude oil cooking ovens, 13 dugout pits, 41 boats, 45 storage tanks and 66 illegal refining sites.
Other items recovered include four speedboats, one pumping machine, 150 drums, one generator, two motorcycles, two mobile phones, one drone, and five vehicles, among others. Troops recovered 657,470 liters of stolen crude oil, 127,870 liters of illegally refined diesel (AGO), and 5,000 liters of kerosene (DPK).
He said that troops remain focused on destroying the terrorists' capability as well as protecting the national critical infrastructures
