By Emmanuel Nduka
The Nigerian military on Tuesday disclosed that over 1,000 terrorists’ leaders, along with their field commanders and combatants, were executed across its various theatres of operation in the country.
This was disclosed by Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, while briefing journalists at the Nigerian Defence Headquarters, Abuja, on military operations from January to December 2024.
General Buba said notable among those eliminated in the course of the year were: “Dutse Mainasara Idda, Mallam Saleh Umaru, Mohammed Amadu, Chinemerem (aka Bam Bam), Jeremiah Uzuoma (aka Escoba), Tochukwu Awo (aka Ojoto), and Egwuatu, amongst others.”
The DHQ added that during the year 2024, troops significantly “degraded the military capabilities as well as the fighting capabilities of terrorists” by neutralizing 10,937 of them, arresting 12,538, and rescuing 7,063 hostages from their claws.
“Furthermore, troops recovered 8,815 weapons, 228,004 ammunitions, and denied the oil theft of an estimated sum of over #68 bn (N68,453,376,040.00) only.
“The breakdown of the recoveries is as follows: 4,332 AK47 rifles, 1,244 locally fabricated guns, 838 dane guns, 259 pump action guns, 128,496 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 45,445 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 5,103 cartridges, 2,131 assorted arms, and 29,176 assorted ammunitions. Others are: 56,223,002 litres of stolen crude oil, 9,735,836 litres of illegally refined AGO, 95,595 litres of DPK, and 156,527 litres of PMS, amongst other items,” Buba reeled out.
The DHQ also vowed that notorious bandit kingpin Bello Turji will be “wiped out” soon in 2025. The DHQ described Turji, who has been a nuisance in the Northwest region of the country, as a “dead man walking” and that he will meet his death soon, like many others before him.
Responding to questions raised about an unverified viral video of Turji calling out the DHQ spokesman, Major General Buba, the DHQ urged Nigerians not to give in to terrorists’ propaganda, assuring that he and others will be wiped out soon as the military moves to intensify its operations in the new year.
“You think that the terrorists will be happy that we are hitting them hard? Of course not. All the terrorist leaders that we saw before him that were championing themselves as leaders, where are they today? I assure you that those of them that are leaders today, commanders, or whatever they call themselves, just watch out, we will wipe them all,” Buba charged.
He recalled that in the last 12 months, troops were confronted by several threats across the country, ranging from armed banditry, kidnapping for ransom, crude oil theft, violent extremism, insurgency, as well as terrorism, among others. “Several of these threats adversely affected innocent citizens and disrupted peace and security in the country,” he acknowledged.
“Troops’ war effort was therefore designed and crafted to defeat and destroy the terrorists as well as dismantle their terror infrastructure across the country. Accordingly, troops continued relentless and painful pressure on the terrorist enclaves, hideouts, and strongholds as an incentive to defeating the terrorists.
“Troops are focused on increasingly delivering tangible benefits of their operations for the benefit of citizens. Additionally, troops seek to continue to heighten collaboration with neighboring countries and regional bodies in order to tackle the menace of terrorism.
“Meanwhile, the armed forces assure that many of what was witnessed in the outgoing year are indicative of a major defeat of the terrorists in 2025. Importantly, troops in the battlefield are in high spirits, fully committed, devoted, and believe in the justness of the cause. Troops will be going the extra mile in the new year to get the job done,” the DHQ stated.
The Director of Defence Media Operations added that the war is not for the armed forces alone. He called for an all-citizens’ support toward winning the war.
