By Tom Chiahemen (ABUJA) –
The Armed Forces of Nigeria may be banking on non-kinetic approach in confronting the growing security challenges in the country.
This came as the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), on Thursday expressed optimism that the far-reaching discussions and decisions reached at the end of the recent Security Summit held in Enugu would go a long way in tackling and bringing peace to the South East Region.
Acting Director, Defence Media Operation (DMO), Brigadier-General Benard Onyeuko, raised this hope while briefing Defence Correspondents in Abuja on the operational efforts of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in various theatres of operation across the country.
He also declared that considering the operational activities of military troops in the various theatres of operation from June 3-16, 2021, “comparatively there is a decrease in the criminal activities within the period under review.”
This, according to Brigadier-General Onyeuko, was “as a result of troops’ operational efforts to deny criminals freedom of operation and we remain resolute to take decisive and adequate actions to further abate terrorists and bandits’ activities as well as other vices across the Country.”
He recalled that in an extra-ordinary non-kinetic approach to the seemingly intractable security challenges in the South East, on 11 June 2021, the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd), led a Federal Government delegation to Enugu for the “HMOD/CDS Security Meeting with Stakeholders in the South East Geopolitical Zone.”
The Defence Minister was accompanied by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbeshola and the Chief of Defence Staff General Lucky Eluonye Onyenuchea Irabor as well as representatives of the Service Chiefs.
“During the Summit, a whole range of security challenges were discussed with all the Governors of the South East States, religious leaders, traditional rulers, opinion leaders and other stakeholders in attendance,” Onyeuko said.
Highlighting the operational activities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other Security Agencies in the theatres of operations between 3 and 16 June 2021, Brigadier-General Onyeuko noted that troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies had continued to tackle the security challenges, characterized by killings, maiming and destruction of properties by criminal elements across the Country.
He said the troops sustained the onslaught against all forms of criminalities by conducting series of operations ranging from aggressive ground operations to comprehensive air operations and exclusive maritime operations against criminal elements and their enclaves.
“These operations recorded attendant successes as scores of criminal elements were decimated and neutralized with their hideouts destroyed and large caches of arms and ammunition as well as equipment recovered. In other cases, some kidnapped victims were rescued and rustled cattle recovered; and economic saboteurs arrested,” he said.
He spoke the activities of Operations HADIN KAI; HADARIN DAJI; SAFE HAVEN; WHIRL STROKE; DELTA SAFE; and AWATSE, as well as non-kinetic approach in tackling the security challenges.
For instance, he said, the troops of Operation HADIN KAI conducted several raid operations and extensive air strikes, responded to distress calls as well as repelled and thwarted terrorists’ attacks.
These operations were conducted concurrently in different locations in the North East Zone of the Country, include Damboa Town in Borno State, Damboa Town in Borno State, Gujba Town in Gujba LGA of Yobe State, Magumeri Town in Borno State and Mubi Town in Mubi LGA of Adamawa State, where troops conducted raid operations on Boko Haram terrorists’ hideouts on 4 and 5 June 2021.
Similarly, he said, the operational activities of Operation HADARIN DAJI theatre between 3 and 16 June 2021 were characterized with ambush operations, aggressive fighting patrols, air raids, sustained air Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance patrols as well as cordon and search operations.
Commenting on Operation SAFE HAVEN theatre of operations, Brigadier-General Onyeuko said between 3 and 16 June 2021, the troops sustained their operational tempo and conducted fighting patrols, ambushes as well as cordon and search operations.
“These operations resulted in the neutralization of several armed bandits, arrest of armed bandits/cultists and recovery of arms and ammunition. These incidents occurred when troops on fighting patrol came in contact and engaged some armed bandits along Bokkos – Gana Rop Road on 4 June 2021. Several of them were neutralized during the encounter while others escaped with gunshot wounds. All arrested criminals and recovered items have been handed over to appropriate agencies for further necessary actions.”
While troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE remained vigilant and committed in the conduct of their operations during the period in focus, troops of Operation DELTA SAFE conducted series of anti-illegal oil bunkering and raid operations that thwarted activities of economic saboteurs, according to the Acting Director of DMO.
These operations led to the deactivation of several illegal oil refining sites, disconnection of illegal pipelines, arrest of different criminal elements, interception and confiscation of contraband vessels, recovery of stolen items and resealing of reactivated illegal oil refining sites, he said.
Meanwhile, the troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies while conducting operations in the South East Zone of the Country contained several Independent People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN) activities in the Zone between 3 and 16 June 2021. Within the period, troops responded to several distress calls on IPOB/ESN attacks on police stations, maiming and killing of security operatives as well as civilians and destruction of properties in the Zone.
Commenting on the security situation in the South West Zone, Brigadier-General Onyeuko said that troops of Operation AWATSE sustained their operations against criminal elements in the Zone between 3 and 16 June 2021, including the operations conducted to repel armed herdsmen attack and raided some criminal hideouts.
While commending the efforts of the troops for their resilience and unrelenting commitment, the Military High Command also encouraged the general public to support the efforts by providing credible and timely information that will facilitate our proactive engagements.