• FG Slashes Interstate Transport Fares By 50%
• Troop Kill 212, Arrests 272 In One Week
The Defence Headquarters has declared that the military is on high alert to protect the country from terrorist aggression, particularly during the yuletide season.
The spokesman of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Edward Buba, who made the disclosure on Friday, noted that robust operations targeted at terrorist leadership are being conducted across the various theatres of operations.
He also disclosed that in one week, troops on the frontline have neutralised 212 terrorists and arrested 272 of them.
Buba also said troops arrested 45 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 152 kidnap victims.
Giving details of the operations, he said: “Significantly, high profile terrorists identified as Hamisu Sale (aka Master) and Abubakar Muhammad were arrested during separate operations conducted in the North Central theatre of operation. The duo are cooperating and providing valuable intelligence on the terror network.
“Similarly, troops in the North West theatre of operation arrested another high profile and notorious terrorist identified as Bako Wurgi. The arrested terror leader is linked to the murder of the Sokoto Monarch and a staunch ally of wanted high profile terrorist, Bello Turji’s.
“The arrested terrorist leader, Bako Wurgi, eventually succumbed to gunshot injuries sustained during the fire fight. He nevertheless provided valuable intelligence to support troops’ operations before he died.
“In the South South, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of N1,193,817,760.00 only.
“Furthermore, troops recovered 247 assorted weapons and 6,174 assorted ammunition. The breakdown are as follows: Two RPG UXO4, 110 AK47 rifles, 56 fabricated rifles, 36 dane guns, two FN rifles, two baretta pistols, 15 locally made pistols, two revolver pistols, 12 pump action guns, two double barrel guns, one single barrel gun, one RPG bomb, one RPG tube, two exploded RPG chargers, one PKM link, one link of GPMG and 70 AK47 magazines.
“Others are: 3,235 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 1,583 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 130 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm ammo, 400 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammo, 92 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammo, 107 rounds of 9mm ammo, 311 live cartridges, one FN magazine, three bandoliers, five baofeng radios, eight vehicles, 51 motorcycles and 103 mobile phones amongst other items.
“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 35 crude oil cooking ovens, 27 dugout pits, 35 boats, 51 storage tanks and 61 illegal refining sites. Other items recovered include five speedboats, five receivers, 59 drums, three motorcycles, three mobile phones and eight vehicles among others. Troops recovered 940,372 litres of stolen crude oil, 252,000 litres of illegally refined AGO and 132 litres of PMS.”
Buba stressed that troops are bent on achieving sustainable peace in the nation by ensuring that the terrorists are held to account for any act of aggression against citizens.
“Citizens are therefore urged to ‘See Something, Say Something’,” He advised.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has announced a 50 per cent slash in interstate transport fares for the Yuletide season to reduce travel expenses for Nigerians travelling to different parts of the country to celebrate the season.
The Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Transportation, Olujimi Oyetomi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
“To commence the 2024 Yuletide road transportation, passengers will board buses to their destinations for only 50 per cent of fares, as declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement said.
It added that the initiative is part of a broader effort to provide transportation palliatives for Nigerians celebrating Christmas and New Year.
According to Olujimi, the Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with key transport stakeholders, including the National Union of Road Transport Workers, the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, the Association of Luxurious Bus Owners of Nigeria and God is Good Motors.
The signing ceremony was led by the Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Adeleye Adeoye.
Under the arrangement, passengers departing from Abuja and Lagos (Oshodi) to various destinations across the country will have their fares cut by 50 per cent.
