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How failure to notify camp officials led to abduction of 112 IDPs – Military
The Military High Command revealed on Thursday that the recent abduction of 112 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno occurred because the individuals ventured outside the designated camp area without informing camp authorities.
Bandits and kidnappers have been categorized as terrorists by the military, with plans to handle them accordingly. This decisive measure is part of the ongoing efforts to eliminate various terrorist groups across the nation, ensuring the safety of citizens.
Major General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, shared this information during the bi-weekly press briefing on ongoing military operations in Abuja.
Maj. Gen. Buba provided details on three recent abduction incidents by terrorist groups, emphasising how the delay in reporting the incidents hampered the response time of the troops involved in search and rescue operations.
The military received information on suspected abductions of IDPs in Borno after they left the camp to gather firewood beyond the permitted distance, without notifying the camp authorities.
This led to their abduction by terrorists. Efforts are being made to secure the safe return of the abducted individuals.
Additionally, other abduction cases were reported, including the abduction of pupils from a school in Kaduna and Almajiris in Sokoto, where delayed reporting affected the response time of the troops.
The military remains dedicated to addressing these security challenges and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all citizens in the country.
Similarly, on March 9, 2024, terrorists invaded and kidnapped 16 pupils (Almajiris) with a woman in Gada LGA of Sokoto State.
READ ALSO: Boko Haram kidnaps dozens of displaced women in Borno
According to him, “These abduction cases were carried out due to cowardice exhibited by terrorists going for such soft targets to impede troop advances.
“I assure you that we will not rest until they are returned because, in recent times troops have decimated several of the terrorist leaders, commanders, and foot soldiers and fast-closed and several others.”
He further noted that troops have deployed tsearch and rescue operations in for their rescue.
His word: “I can assure you that we will not rest until these hostages are returned.
However,because of the sensitivity of the matter, I can not go into further details as to signs of life, location, and the different options that we have in order to get these hostages back.
“We are working tirelessly to rescue hostages,” is very clearly at the top of military priorities. For this reason, we have relied on our international partners for support. Accordingly, they are providing the necessary support, including intelligence, that is giving us the advantage in dealing with the ugly situation.
“Of recent, these terrorists initiated a post that went viral on the attack on military vehicles. It might interest you to know that, that particular incident was reported when it occurred in Dec 2023. One soldier lost his life as a result of the attack. Afterward, troops conducted synchronised attacks, killing the leader of that group and several of his foot soldiers.
“The post is therefore clearly an act of desperation by the terrorist to conceal their weakness. Overall, we are winning the war and making life unbearable for these terrorists. We continue to degrade them with each passing day. We have seriously depleted their ranks to the extent that they are on a desperate recruitment drive, hence some of the witnessed abductions.
“Several of their leaders and commanders have been neutralised as a result of troops onslaught. They want to use these hostages as human shield for their survival. Nevertherless, be assured that we will not rest until the hostages are returned.
“As patriotic citizens, we must resist the temptation to celebrate post-terrorists and enemies of the state. These are not good people, rather, they are devils from the pit of hell. Consequently, If you find yourself celebrating terror, you’re wrong. Pure and simple.”
In the weekly update, Buba revealed that troops neutralized 213 individuals and arrested 216 others. Additionally, they apprehended 67 oil theft perpetrators and rescued 26 kidnapped hostages.
Buba further reported that troops thwarted an oil theft attempt, preventing the loss of an estimated 1.56 billion Naira (N1,558,665,080.00). They also recovered a significant arsenal, including 189 assorted weapons and 4,003 rounds of ammunition.
“Notably, troops in the Niger Delta successfully disrupted illegal oil refining operations. They discovered and destroyed 150 dugout pits, various storage facilities, vehicles, and over 40 illegal refining sites. Additionally, they seized stolen crude oil, illegally refined diesel, and gasoline”, he added.
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