Troops of Operation Forest Sanity have neutralised four terrorists and recovered arms and ammunition as well as other items in two encounters in Kaduna State.
The Defence Media Operations Director, Maj-Gen. Musa Danmadami, announced this on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to Danmadami, the army had reacted to distress calls of bandit assaults at Rafin Sarki village in Kaduna State’s Giwa Local Government Area on Sunday and Monday.
He said the troops engaged the terrorists in a gun fight and neutralised two, recovering one AK 47 rifle.
He added that troops had also on Tuesday, carried out an ambush operation at Rafin Taba village, in the same local government area and neutralised two terrorists.
According to him, troops also recovered two AK 47 rifles, four AK 47 magazines, 51 (7.62mm) special ammunition, five mobile phones, one cutlass, two motorcycles and the sum of N206,000.
“The military high command commends troops of Operation Forest Sanity and encourages the general public to avail troops with credible and timely information on criminal activities,” he said.
Similarly in a joint operation with the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Police, and the Department of State Services, the soldiers of the 82nd Division attacked an IPOB/ESN camp in the Ishielu LGA of Ebonyi State’s Amagu village.
According to a statement by Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, during the raid operations, the troops came into touch with members of the dissident organization, which led to an exchange of fire.
The troops recovered 102 7.62mm special rounds, 2 Pump Action weapons, 5 locally built rifles, 1 roll of Detonator 27, amount 24 Detonators, 33 electrical wires, 12 type 36 hand grenades, and 12 bags of marijuana-like substances.
Other items recovered include, 3 Motorcycles, 2 Generators, 1 Water pumping machine, Military woodland camouflage and Nigeria Police uniform.
In a separate operation on the same date, troops on routine patrol in Agubeji community in Enugu state arrested a suspect, one Mr. Martins Abogwu, for conniving with IPOB/ESN elements to unleash attacks on innocent citizens.
The suspect, who claimed he is the Chief Security Officer of the community is assisting in the preliminary investigations that followed and has led troops to their camp, where a shallow grave containing 2 decomposing bodies were uncovered.
One of the corpses has been identified as a member of the local vigilante, who was kidnapped about a month ago.
The Nigerian Army reassures law abiding citizens of its unwavering resolve, in synergy with other services and security agencies to deny criminal elements the freedom of action and progressively rid the nation of identified threats to national security by executing its constitutional responsibilities in conformity with extant rules of engagement.
The Army also encourages members of the public to work harmoniously with the security agencies to collectively make the South East and the entire nation secured and peaceful.
