The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Thursday, said ongoing military operations against terrorists, bandits, and other criminals terrorising the peace of the country have yielded results with the arrest of a suspected member of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) around the Sango Ota area of Ogun State, by soldiers of ‘Operation AWATSE’.
Acting Director, Defence Military Operations (DMO), Brigadier General Benard Onyeuko, made this known at a media briefing in Abuja.
He said: “Troops carried out standing patrols and raid operations at strategic areas in the southwest zone, including Majidun area, during which one Mr. Ibrahim Musa, an ISWAP member, was arrested at No 31, Abartura Street, in Sango-Ota, Ogun State.
“Intelligence report revealed that Ibrahim was on a mission to Lagos to acquire certain items for ISWAP’s operations in Maiduguri. In another development, troops acting on intelligence reports on ongoing illegal oil bunkering activity, at the Alimosho NNPC pipeline, arrested one Mr. Oyeshola Saheed, acting as the illegal bunkering supervisor.
“However, he named one Mr. Akanbi as the sponsor and financier of the illegal bunkering activities in the area. Both vehicles and equipment used for their operations were recovered and handed over to appropriate agencies for necessary action.”
General Onyeuko noted that operational activities within the past weeks involved sustained routine patrols, to forestall activities of vandals on NNPC pipelines at Gaun, Akute, Wawa 1 and 2, and Mabgero areas.
On troops operations in the Niger Delta, Onyeuko said that troops of ‘Operation DELTA SAFE’, within the period, conducted several operations to secure oil pipelines and other critical infrastructures, to deny economic saboteurs and prevent security breach.
“These included sustained anti-crude oil theft, anti-illegal oil bunkering, anti-smuggling, and anti-militancy operations. These operations led to the deactivation of illegal oil refining sites and the disconnection of illegal oil pipelines. Troops also arrested several criminal elements, intercepted and confiscated large quantities of contraband vessels and items as well as recovered weapons and stolen items between June 18 and 30.
“These operations were conducted at Sara Creek in Warri southwest LGA and Ikpoba Community in Okha LGA of Delta State. Operations were also conducted on a compound at Lagos bus stop, by Railway Station in Port Harcourt; Jokri, Opuadakiri and Jombosco areas, as well as Asapama Creek and Kaa Community Market, in Khana LGA of Rivers State.”
Also, troops of operation HADARIN DAJI and other security agencies conducting operations in the North West Zone executed a series of land and air operations, concurrently, between June 18 and 30, 2021.
The operations included raid, ambush, cordon and search, rescue, and clearance. Troops were also said to have responded to distress calls within the period. Likewise, the air component of Operation HADARIN DAJI conducted several air operations such as aerial patrol, intelligence surveillance reconnaissance, and air interdiction missions.
