Triumph in Counter-Terrorism Operations as Troops Capture Artillery Projectile Launchers, Crackdown on Oil Thieves
Triumph in Counter-Terrorism Operations as Troops Capture Artillery Projectile Launchers, Crackdown on Oil Thieves
In a bold move against insurgent elements, Nigerian Army forces from the 302 Artillery and 14 Field Engineer Regiments achieved a significant victory on Monday, October 16, 2023.
Operating in concert, they successfully secured two locally fabricated Artillery Projectile Launchers from combatants associated with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
A statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, on Tuesday, said the capture took place during an operation targeting terrorists in the region.
Nwachukwu said swift and strategic action by the troops compelled the dissident fighters to abandon their camp in haste.
According to the statement, during the operation, one member of the dissident group was apprehended. The troops also recovered a cache of items including 48 rounds of 7.62 mm NATO ammunition, four mobile phones, a handheld communication radio, and a substance suspected to be cannabis.
Read Also: Gov Inuwa Yahaya Hails Tribunal Victory as Triumph of Democracy, People’s Trust
In a parallel mission on the same day, the 34 Artillery Brigade executed an offensive against oil thieves in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.
The operation yielded a substantial haul of seized equipment, including a crude oil cooking oven, three reservoirs, various connecting hoses and pipes, three mobile phones, a Power Generating set, three pumping machines, a CCTV camera strategically mounted in a tree, a substance suspected to be cannabis, and a collection of fetish objects.
Simultaneously, the same troops executed a similar operation, dismantling an illicit refining site. The site was outfitted with numerous crude oil ovens and drums, all loaded with pilfered crude oil.
The operation yielded a dug-out pit containing an estimated 50,000 litres of crude oil, as well as 57 sacks of illicitly refined automation gas oil. Astonishingly, these sacks of contraband products were surreptitiously concealed in a community health centre, located at Egbema Shell and Egbema West respectively, in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.
According to the statement by Nwachukwu, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the Nigerian Army to safeguarding peace and security within the nation.
He lauds the troops for their resolute and unwavering efforts in the fight against terrorism, economic sabotage, and other criminal activities. General Lagbaja also calls upon members of the public to provide reliable and credible information to security agencies, thereby augmenting ongoing efforts to enhance national security.
