A notorious terrorist lord in Jigawa State, ‘Mai Hijabi,’ has been sent to the grave by troops on the frontline.

In addition, the troops killed 165 terrorists and arrested 238 others in the last week.

Spokesman of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who made the disclosure at a briefing, noted that the armed forces have troops strategically deployed across the country to combat terrorists, insurgents, and their cohorts.

He hinted that the military’s war effort is designed and crafted to defeat and destroy terrorists as well as dismantle their terror networks across the country.

Accordingly, the armed forces have intensified their war efforts through the mobilisation of lethal forces and air strikes on terrorists, he added.

“Troops also understand the importance of momentum and are therefore taking the fight to the terrorists,” he said.

“Our operations have destroyed a substantial part of the combat capacity of these terror groups and their leadership. For instance, one of the notorious terrorist commanders in Jigawa State, known as Mai Hijabi, was eliminated from the battlefield during the week.

“Troops are therefore increasingly making significant strides across all theatres of operations. During the week under review, troops neutralised 165 and arrested 238 persons. Troops also arrested 35 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 188 kidnapped hostages.

“In the South-South, troops denied oil thieves an estimated sum of Six Hundred and Eighty-Eight Million, One Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty Naira (N688,125,150.00) only.

“Furthermore, troops recovered 153 assorted weapons and 2,182 assorted rounds of ammunition. The breakdown is as follows: 81 AK47 rifles, 23 fabricated rifles, 27 dane guns, 13 pump-action guns, 5 locally made pistols, three revolver pistols, 30 AK47 magazines, and one bayonet.

“Other items recovered include 1,561 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 278 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 70 rounds of 50mm ammunition, 72 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 87 live cartridges, one Baofeng radio, 19 vehicles, 21 motorcycles, 45 mobile phones, and the sum of N64,100.00 only, among other items.

“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed two dugout pits, 58 boats, and 39 storage tanks. Other items recovered include 13 cooking ovens, 35 drums, one motorcycle, one tricycle, 4 speed boats, 13 vehicles, and 65 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 789,200 litres of stolen crude oil and 64,950 litres of illegally refined AGO.

“Our role in the ongoing war is clear, and we are winning the war. The military is not oblivious to some security challenges faced by citizens in certain quarters and is reassessing operations in those areas to better secure and protect citizens.

“The armed forces seize this opportunity to caution persons or groups from making threats or inflammatory comments on untoward activities against troops’ presence or deployment as a result of ongoing operations. The outcome of such acts is better imagined than experienced.

“Troops recognize the urgency to ensure peace and security for all citizens across the country. Accordingly, we are working on new strategies to better protect the nation and its citizens.”\