The Defence Headquarters has disclosed that Nigerian military forces rescued 318 victims of kidnapping and arrested 74 suspects involved in terrorism, oil theft, and other criminal activities across the country in November.
Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, Director of Defence Media Operations, revealed the figures during a briefing in Abuja, noting that 69 terrorists and their family members surrendered to troops in the North-East during the same period.
“Several terrorists, bandits, extremists, and other criminal elements were arrested, scores neutralised, and more than 69 of them along with their family members voluntarily surrendered. In addition, 318 kidnapped victims were rescued,” Onoja stated.
The military also intensified operations against oil theft, deactivating 16 illegal refining sites and recovering petroleum products valued at over N217 million. “We arrested 25 suspects, deactivated 16 illegal refining sites, and recovered 201,700 litres of crude oil and 88,177 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, valued at N217,664,618,” he added.
Maj. Gen. Onoja commended troops for their efforts and urged them to sustain the momentum. He also called on the public to provide credible information to support security agencies.
“We continue to solicit the support of all Nigerians. We also encourage citizens to support veterans through the Armed Forces Remembrance Day emblem launched by the President on December 2,” he said.
On ongoing efforts to rescue recently abducted students, Onoja assured that the military was taking all necessary measures to secure their safe return. “We are implementing every possible system and activity to ensure that the remaining abducted students are rescued and reunited with their families unharmed,” he said.
The DHQ’s report comes amid renewed pressure on security agencies as mass abductions persist, posing a significant challenge to national security.
