Troops capture terrorist commander Maisaje, 227 others, kill 96

A notorious terrorist commander in the North Central region of the country, ‘Usman Maisaje,’ has been caught red-handed by troops, who neutralised 96 terrorists and arrested 227 others during a fierce one-week military raid.

The Spokesman of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Edward Buba, made the disclosure today.

According to General Buba, troops are actively disrupting the operational capabilities of terrorists through ongoing operations across the country.

He hinted that troops had significantly eliminated five IPOB/ESN terrorist leaders during the week. Additionally, in the North Central operational theatre, troops arrested a notorious terrorist commander identified as Usman Maisaje.

He said, “The arrested terrorist commander is a close associate of a wanted high-profile terrorist leader known as Kachalla Boka. The arrest has been rewarding in terms of intelligence value, as he is cooperating and providing troops with much-needed intelligence for further operations.

“Meanwhile, during the week under review, troops neutralised 96 and arrested 227 persons. Troops also arrested 45 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 157 kidnapped hostages. In the South-South, troops denied oil theft valued at an estimated sum of Seven Hundred and Twelve Million Sixty-Five Thousand Four Hundred and Fifty Naira (N712,065,450.00).”

He added that the military recovered 71 weapons, including AK-47 rifles, fabricated guns, and pistols, along with 1,463 rounds of ammunition. Additional items seized include 19 vehicles, 23 motorcycles, 35 phones, N4 million, and 46,000 CFA.

He said, “Furthermore, troops recovered 71 assorted weapons and 1,463 rounds of assorted ammunition. The breakdown is as follows: 50 AK-47 rifles, 16 fabricated rifles, 5 dane guns, 5 pump-action guns, 5 locally made pistols, one revolver pistol, and 16 AK-47 magazines.

“Other items include 784 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 403 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 164 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition, 53 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 67 live cartridges, one Baofeng radio, 19 vehicles, 23 motorcycles, 35 mobile phones, N4,087,630.00, and 46,000 CFA francs, among other items.

“In the Niger Delta area, troops discovered and destroyed 4 dugout pits, 48 boats, 52 drums, and 38 storage tanks. Other items recovered include 55 cooking ovens, two speedboats, one tricycle, six mobile phones, six vehicles, and 60 illegal refining sites. Troops also recovered 712,535 litres of stolen crude oil and 76,800 litres of illegally refined AGO.

“The military will not relent in its plan to kill terrorists and destroy the infrastructure that supports them. We will increasingly degrade the terrorists’ military capability and effectiveness through our operations,” he said.

The military recovered 71 weapons, including AK-47 rifles, fabricated guns, and pistols,