The Defence Headquarters has announced that a notorious terrorist leader known as Mai Hijabi, operating in Jigawa State, was killed in an operation carried out this past week.
According to the DHQ, this action is part of ongoing efforts to dismantle the operational capabilities of terrorist groups in the northern regions of the country.
During a press briefing, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, detailed the week’s military activities, reporting that 165 terrorists were killed and 238 individuals were apprehended.
Buba stated, “Our operations have significantly weakened the combat effectiveness of these terrorist organizations and their leadership. For instance, we eliminated Mai Hijabi, a prominent terrorist commander in Jigawa State, during the week. Troops are achieving notable progress across all operational areas.”
He further reported that during the reviewed week, troops neutralized 165 terrorists, apprehended 238 suspects, and rescued 188 victims of kidnapping.
In addition, Buba mentioned that 35 suspected oil thieves were detained in the South-South region, where oil theft valued at approximately N688,125,150.00 was thwarted.
“Troops in the Niger Delta uncovered and dismantled two dugout pits, 58 boats, and 39 storage tanks. They also seized 13 cooking ovens, 35 drums, one motorcycle, one tricycle, four speedboats, 13 vehicles, and 65 illegal refining sites. Additionally, 789,200 liters of stolen crude oil and 64,950 liters of unlawfully refined AGO were recovered,” he noted.
Buba also reported the recovery of 153 various weapons and 2,182 rounds of ammunition. This includes 81 AK-47 rifles, 23 improvised rifles, 27 Dane guns, 13 pump-action shotguns, five homemade pistols, three revolver pistols, 30 AK-47 magazines, and one bayonet.
Other items recovered consisted of 1,561 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 278 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 70 rounds of 50mm ammo, 72 rounds of 9mm ammo, 87 live cartridges, a Baofeng radio, 19 vehicles, 21 motorcycles, 45 mobile phones, and a cash sum of N64,100.00, among various other items.