The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has attributed the delay in the search and rescue of kidnapped civilians by suspected terrorists to late notifications of the incidents to the military authorities.
Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, revealed this in Abuja on Thursday while updating the public on the armed forces’ recent operational activities.
General Buba emphasised the severity of the situation, stating, “These citizens were abducted by a brutal and blood-thirsty group that should only be addressed as terrorists, and not bandits. I repeat, these are terrorists and not bandits.”
He assured the public that the military is committed to rescuing the hostages, despite the challenges posed by the difficult-to-reach locations where they are being held.
Highlighting the success of recent military operations, General Buba reported that in the last two weeks, troops had killed 213 and arrested 216 suspected terrorists. Additionally, 67 perpetrators of oil theft were apprehended, and 26 kidnapped hostages were rescued. The military also prevented the theft of an estimated N1.5 billion worth of crude oil in the South-South region.
Furthermore, the armed forces recovered a significant cache of weapons and ammunition, including 111 AK-47 rifles, 31 fabricated guns, 2,766 rounds of live ammunition, and 44 motorcycles, among other items.
