Soldiers of the One Mechanised Division
of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, have killed no fewer than 10 suspected
terrorists in various joint operations code-named, “Operation Restore
Peace II” in the North-West zone of the country.
Also in the operations, about 64 suspected terrorists and bandits were arrested.
Those arrested had been handed over to
the police for further investigation and prosecution, according to the
Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, One Division, Nigerian Army,
Kaduna, Col. Usman Abdul.
The One Division spokesman also said
7,119 cattle, sheep and goats were recovered from rustlers and bandits
who had been terrorising people from the zone.
The zone comprises of Jigawa, Katsina,
Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna and Kano states, while the operations
extended to Niger and Kogi states in the North-Central.
The operations were carried out by the
combined team of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Air Force, Police,
Department of State Services as well as the Nigerian Customs, among
others.
Abdul stated, “In Kaduna State and its
immediate environs, the expanded security outfit involved in the
operation have made recovery of 2,081 animals, like cattle, sheep and
goats. Twenty-seven suspects were arrested and lots of weapons of
different calibres were recovered from the bandits.
“In the axis of Sokoto, Zamfara, and
Kebbi states, over 3,027 animals which included cattle, goats and sheep
were recovered. Thirty-three suspected bandits were arrested with 11
weapons seized in the course of the operation. All the suspects were
handed over to Zamfara DSS and the Police Command while the animals were
handed over to the Zamfara State government officials.
“In the area covering Kano, Katsina and
Jigawa states, the joint operation recovered a total of 2,011 animals,
with four suspects arrested. Also, 10 bandits were killed during the
encounters and eight assorted weapons recovered.
“The arrested suspects were handed over
to the Katsina Police Command, while animals recovered were handed over
to the Katsina State government officials.”
He added that since the commencement of
the operations, confidence has been restored to the indigenes who had
since resumed their normal farming and commercial activities.
Abdul noted that the army and other
security agencies and the men of the state’s security outfit,
code-named, “Operation Yaki” in Kaduna had through various operations
been able to reduce and subdue the activities of bandits and insurgents.
He however warned supporters and
sympathisers of the bandits against aiding and abetting their activities
as the Division was ever determined to uproot them from the zone.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.
Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Thursday re-emphasised the commitment of the
military to win the war against insurgents soon, insisting that the
military is daily gaining more grounds against the Boko Haram
insurgents.
Buratai gave this assurance while
receiving five vehicles presented to the Multi-National Joint Task Force
by Toyota Nigeria Limited at the Maimalari Barracks, Maiduguri.
He said he just returned from
Gamboru-Ngala and so could tell Nigerians that the troops at the
warfront were winning the battle against the insurgents.
Buratai said that the MNJTF needed
logistics and moral support from corporate bodies and individuals to
actualise its mandates. He therefore called on all well-meaning
individuals and corporate bodies to emulate Toyota Nigeria Limited.
While presenting the vehicles, the
Managing Director, Toyota Limited Mr. Kunle Adeojo, said the gesture was
part of the company’s corporate social responsibilities.
He called on other individuals and
corporate organisations to assist the military in its move to rid the
country of insurgency and and criminality.
In his speech, the commander of the
MNJTF, Maj. Gen. Iliyasu Abba, said since the task force was established
it had been trying to actualise its mandate.
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