The Defence Headquarters has said that no fewer than 3 officers, 22 soldiers were killed in the Nigerian Air Force helicopter crash that recently occurred in Shiroro area of Niger State while 7 were wounded in action by terrorists.
The Director, Defence Media Operations(DMO), Major.-Geneneral Edward Buba, disclosed this at the Defence Headquarters, while giving update on operational activities of the NIgerian military in various theater of operations, in Abuja.
Major-General Buba revealed that, the NAF helicopter that crashed in Niger State actually went to the scene to evacuate the victims before it crashed.
He assured that no group could attack its troops and go scot-free, adding that the Nigeria Armed Forces will continue to respond with overwhelming military force against any group that threatens the safety of citizens and it’s own forces.
He said the military was strategically deployed across the country to conduct operations aimed at curtailing the activities of violent extremist groups fomenting insecurity in the country.
While hinting on the ongoing military operations as at 17th August, Major General Buba said the military neutralized 28 terrorists, arrested 92 terrorists, 6 gunrunners, 3 kidnappers, 6 collaborators, 7 perpetrators of oil theft.
He said troops also rescued 82 kidnapped hostages and denied oil theft the sum of Eight Hundred and Seventy-Six Million Four Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand Eight Hundred Naira (N876,451,800.00) only.
Overall, according to the DMO, troops recovered 108 weapons and 564 ammunition.
Recovered in the breakdown were: 22 AK47 rifles, one PKT gun, 6 pump action guns, 4 dane guns, one fabricated rifle, one galil ace rifle, one RGP bomb, one RPG tube, 44 hand grenades, 322 rounds of 7.62mm special, 63 rounds of 12.7mm ammo, 12 rounds of 5.6mm ammo, 33 AK47 magazines, one empty case of 7.62mm special and 3 empty magazines. Other items include; 14 motorcycles, 16 mobile phones, 3 motorolla radio, one boafeng radio, 2 motorcycle tyres, 5 touch lights, 2 solar panels, 104 livestock and the sum of Two Million Eight Hundred and Ninety-Six Thousand Four Hundred Naira (N2,896,400.00).
Major General Buba said further that troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 36 dugout pits, 62 wooden boats, 73 storage tanks, one vehicle and 75 cooking ovens. Others include; 4 pumping machine, 5 outboard engine and 33 illegal refining sites. Furthermore, troops recovered 1,166,900 litres of stolen crude oil, 1,491,250 litres of illegally refined AGO, 54,750 litres of DPK and 800 litres of PMS.
He noted that the armed forces possess the power to hunt down those that wish to bring harm upon the citizens, warning that the ongoing operations is a message to those that question the resolve of the military.
” It is also a message to members of these violent extremist groups that think they can hide. They can be rest assured that others shall raise their sons and daughters, as no one will strike at the military without injurious consequences,” the Director said.
He assured that the men and women of the armed forces will continue to put themselves in harms ways to protect the nation.
Also speaking the Director of Public Relations and Information NIgerian Airforce , Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet who expressed concerns at the unpatriotic news reportage of some media, called on those aiding and abetting the propaganda tendencies of terrorists, by spreading the videos of the alleged crash site with gory pictures of dead military personnel to stop, asserting that such actions could demoralize the troops.
