from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – NIGERIAN troops disclose they killed 624 terrorists and 1 051 criminals in the month of May.
Some 563 hostages were rescued.
Additionally, troops recovered 707 assorted weapons, 16 487 assorted ammunition and denied the oil theft of an estimated sum of over N700 million (US$523 750).
“Troops are admirably making progress in the ongoing counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations across the country and will continue until the terrorists are completely decimated,” said Major General Edward Buba, Director: Defence Media Operations.
He said the progress made was through the cumulative effort of killing the terrorist leaders, commanders and combatants, as well as, taking away their most important assets such as logistics, administrative and fighting capabilities.
“These all combine to destroy the will to fight off the terrorists and their cohorts,” Buba said.
The West African country, the continent’s most populous, is at times the most volatile.
It is enduring a rampage by Islamist groups and kidnappers.
Last Friday, around 160 people, mostly Christians, were kidnapped when Islamic militants attacked a village in the north-central Niger state.
Most of those taken hostage are reported to be women and children.
“We are horrified that these attacks continue unabated, displacing thousands of people from their homes, farmlands and livelihoods,” said a spokesperson of the pro-Christian Open Doors in sub-Saharan Africa.
– CAJ News