Defence Headquarters gives update on war against terrorists, bandits

The Defence headquarters in Friday gave an update on its several operations across the country against insurgency, terrorism and bandits.

Top on the operational successes is the onslaught against a band of Boko Haram terrorists who invaded Michika community in Adamawa state during the week.

The insurgents, who were said to have gone on a looting spree for food and money, abandoned one Hilux van and two Toyota cars loaded with looted foodstuff after their encounter with special forces.

The DHQ also said that its operations against oil thieves in the Niger Delta recorded a boost with the discovery and destruction of an illegal refining camp with 18 ovens, 18 coolers, 39 waste pits as well as recovery of 26 surface tanks and five pits cumulatively filled with about 750,000 litres of stolen crude.

These were disclosed by the Acting Director of Defence Information, Col Onyema Nwachukwu in a statement in Abuja.

Read also: Man bags 12 years in prison for kidnapping women in Ekiti

Onyema said in these statement: “In its relentless effort to ensure adequate national security the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has been engrossed in tackling the menace of terrorism, insurgency, armed banditry and sabotage of critical national economic assets, through coordinated military operations across the country.

“The DHQ has recorded quite a number of operational successes over the week.

“Some of the successes recorded include, the repel of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) attack on Michika Town in Michika Local Government Area (LGA), Adamawa state.

“The insurgents who were on a looting mission for logistics had attacked a bank and some shops in the area, damaging an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and carting away food items.

“However, the insurgents ran out of luck when troops of 143 Battalion and 115 Task Force Brigade at neighbouring Lassa in Borno State mobilized to the area and engaged the insurgents in a fierce combat forcing the insurgents to flee.

“The fleeing insurgents were again ambushed and neutralized by Special Forces troops at Maikadiri Village in Askira Uba LGA of Borno State.

“The gallant troops recovered one Hilux van, two Toyota Starlet cars loaded with looted food stuff and motorcycles from the fleeing insurgents.

“Similarly, troops in Zamfara State have arrested an impostor parading himself as a military officer in Tundun Wada area of Gusau metropolis in Zamfara State.

“The suspect who identified himself as Abdulrasheed Sylvester was arrested while dressed up in military uniform with the rank of major.

“In order to stem the menace of armed banditry in the North Central part of the country, troops of ‘Operation Whirl Stroke’ conducted a raid operation on a suspected armed bandits camp at Dogo Gawa, a border community between Takum in Taraba State and Katsina-Ala in Benue State.

“In a shootout that ensued, the bandits who were overpowered by the superior fire-power of the troops fled, abandoning their camp.

“The gallant troop’s recovered one locally-made riffle, one laptop, two cell phones, SIM cards, ATM cards and a sum of Four Hundred Thousand Naira (400,000).

“The camp was subsequently destroyed by troops who are currently on the trail of the fleeing bandits. Similarly, troops of Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke deployed at Ondori in Doma LGA have raided a suspected militia hideout at Abuja Ogor, a local settlement in Doma LGA, Nasarawa State.

“During the raid operation, the troops recovered two AK 47 riffles with two empty magazines, one Clarion 5.56 Israeli Assault rifle mounted with a magazine. In another raid operation, on bandits hideout in the same location, troops arrested two armed bandits with two AK 47 rifles, three magazines and 126 rounds of ammunition.”

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