The Nigerian military high command has announced that no fewer than 2,245 terrorists were killed between April and June 2024, representing the second quarter of the year. In the same period, 3,682 suspected terrorists and other criminal elements were arrested, and 1,993 kidnapped hostages were rescued from terrorist dens across various theatres of operations.
Major-General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, revealed these details during a press briefing at Defence Headquarters, Abuja. He also noted that troops recovered 2,783 weapons and 64,547 rounds of ammunition.
In addition, the troops of “Operation Delta Safe” successfully prevented oil thieves from siphoning over N10 billion worth of crude oil. Specific recoveries included 1,169 AK-47 rifles, 36,273 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 14,764 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, 713 assorted arms, and 9,850 assorted ammunition. Also confiscated were 9,225,149 litres of stolen crude oil, 2,874,916 litres of illegally refined AGO, 29,900 litres of DPK, and 31,380 litres of PMS, among other items.
Major-General Buba highlighted that the military has significantly degraded terrorist groups, although they remain present in operational areas. He likened counter-insurgency efforts to a marathon, requiring time and sustained effort to completely eliminate the terrorist threat.
“The resolve of the armed forces is very clear: to destroy the terrorists and dismantle their military capabilities to ensure the safety of citizens. Troops are actively engaged in different forms of combat and maintain operational flexibility, allowing them to respond to various events and project forces as needed,” Buba said.
He further explained that the terrorists have prioritised maintaining their military capabilities, as evidenced by the recovery of weapons, explosives, and IEDs during operations. Despite this, the military continues to eliminate terrorists through coordinated ground and air operations.