DHQ: Military vows to Cripple Terrorists Recruitment Efforts

DHQ: Military vows to Cripple Terrorists Recruitment Efforts

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has vowed to crush the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and their allies’ recruitment efforts.

This is as the troops have neutralized 88 and arrested 228terrorists in recent operations within the week.

A statement by Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, in Thursday said the troops are on an onslaught to crush terrorists in the northwest and other parts of the country.

He said also troops also arrested  40 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 181 kidnapped hostages while alos recovered 84 assorted weapons, 2,393 ammunition, and denied oil thieves N1,021,412,950.

While giving the breakdown, the military spokesman said troops have destroyed 13 crude oil cooking ovens, 20 dugout pits, 73 boats, and 59 illegal refining sites in the Niger Delta area. They recovered 942,420 litres of stolen crude oil, 175,075 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 4,980 litres of PMS.

Buba said, in Ondo, the military has deployed troops to ensure a hitch-free election in Ondo State on November 16.

“Troops presence is to ensure security of citizens enabling them to cast their votes without any form of harassment or intimidation,” said Major General Buba.

He said: “The military is aware of ISWAP’s desperate online recruitment drive and is working with security agencies and governments to stop it.

“Troops offensives have severely depleted ISWAP terrorist rank and file in the northeast, forcing a desperate recruitment drive,” Buba stated.