Military warns against unlawful possession of arms

The Nigerian military has issued a severe warning against illicit possession of weaponry with the intent to harm civilians’ safety, particularly in view of recent incidents in Oyo State, North West Nigeria.

Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, emphasised this at a meeting with journalists in Abuja.

General Buba emphasised that such actions clearly violate the constitution and are untenable since they entail individuals or groups taking up arms against a legitimate government.

He urged the civil populace and civil societies to unite in a concerted effort, adopting a whole-of-society approach to aid in the complete eradication of these terrorist threats.

According to him, the time is now for citizens to know that they have a responsibility to the nation. He said that “the military recognises that there is still a challenging and tough war campaign ahead.

“Overall, our objective is to defeat the terrorists and their cohorts by denying them the ability to continue to fight,” he said.

According to him, the lifeline of these terrorist groups is for the people to win the war without the support of the people is close to impossible.

General Buba noted that above all, the fighting spirit of the men and women in uniform is strong, resilient, focused, proud and committed, as they understand that they have no choice but to continue to fight to defeat the enemy and create a safer environment for citizens.

In another vein, General Buba said that “troops neutralised 192 terrorists and arrested 341 persons while rescuing 62 kidnapped hostages during the period under review.”

He noted that a total of 122 ISWAP/JAS combatant terrorists surrendered with their family members.

Furthermore, troops recovered 211 assorted weapons and 6,288 assorted ammunition.

The breakdown is as follows: 128 AK47 rifles, 26 Dane guns among other items. Others are 1,301 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 3,260 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 1,325 live cartridges, and 140 rounds of 9mm ammo among other items.

According to him, in the Niger Delta region, troops discovered and destroyed 99 dugout trenches, 36 storage tanks, and 192 cooking ovens, as stated by officials.

Their efforts led to the seizure of 349,970 litres of stolen crude oil, 112,135 litres of illegally refined AGO, 7,560 litres of DPK, and 13,000 litres of PMS.

He added that the military is actively engaged in eliminating terrorist elements, dismantling their networks, and ensuring circumstances to prevent future acts of terror or harm to residents. This commitment includes persistently pursuing the leaders of these terrorist groups on all operational fronts.

Meanwhile, during these operations, a moment of silence was observed to honor the officers and others who gave their lives in defense of their country.