The military has said that no fewer than 6,886 terrorists and other criminal elements were killed during various operations across the country in 2023.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen Buba Edward, disclosed this in Abuja while briefing journalists on the activities of the troops across the country in 2023.
Edward noted that a total of 6,970 suspects were arrested and 4,488 kidnapped citizens were rescued across the country.
He added that the sustained efforts of troops in 2023 led to the recovery of 100 million litres of stolen crude oil and 60 million litres of diesel.
‘’During the period, troops neutralised 6,886 terrorists and other criminal elements. Troops arrested 6,970 suspects, rescued 4,488 kidnapped hostages as well as recovered 3,320 assorted weapons and 39,075 assorted ammunition,” he said.
“Additionally, troops recovered 100,316,600 litres of crude oil, 60,339,426 litres of AGO, 3,465,450 litres of DPK, and 3,544,990 litres of PMS.”
Giving an analysis of the threats witnessed in 2023, Buba noted that banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, oil theft, secessionist agitations, and farmers-herders clashes were top.
He said the threat dynamics were, however, defined along geo-political zones with some permeating across the regional lines.
Buba said kidnapping, armed robbery, communal clashes and cattle rustling were common across the six geopolitical zones.
“The predominant threat in the North-Central and North-West regions is armed banditry/terrorism while the Boko Haram terrorists/Islamic State West African Province lingering insurgency remained the main threat in the North-East region,” he said.
“The major threat in the South-East and South-West was the secessionist agitations of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and the Yoruba Nation respectively.
“The South-South region continued to experience oil theft, cultism, and youth restiveness. However, acts of criminalities such as kidnapping, armed robbery, communal clashes and cattle rustling were common across the six geopolitical zones.”
Buba said the proliferation of small arms which came into the country as a result of the porous borders as well as local fabrication of arms led to the increase in the crime rate in 2023.
“It is pertinent to point out that most security threats in the country were fuelled by the proliferation of small arms exacerbated by the influx of illegal arms and ammunition through our porous borders and the preponderance of local arms fabrication factories in the country.
“Thus, the armed forces’ kinetic and non-kinetic efforts were geared towards tackling these threats in all the geo-political zones,” he said.
