125,517 terrorists, family members surrendered – DHQ

The Chief of Training and Operations at Defence Headquarters, Maj Gen Emeka Onumajuru, has said that a total of 125, 517 terrorists and their families have so far surrendered to troops.

He stated this yesterday during a press briefing addressed by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, in Abuja.

Onumajuru said, “There has also been the relocation of IDPs, over 60,000 IDPs in conjunction with the Borno State Government thereby decongesting some of the IDP camps.”

He told journalists that the security situation in the North Central and the South East was stable at the moment, saying the sit-at-home order had been contained.

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He explained that a large number of IPOB members had been neutralised.

“The crisis in Plateau State has fully stabilised because of the stabilisation operations. Also, militia operations in Benyo and Nasarawa are being reduced through the activities of troops deployed in those areas. In the Southwest, the Southwest has always remained very peaceful,” Onumajuru added.

The Chief of Defence Staff said the military would apprehend and bring to justice one of the bandits’ kingpins terrorising Zamfara State and some parts of the North West region of the country, Bello Turji.

General Musa also said that the issue of imposing levies on people in Zamfara and other states in the North West by terrorists, particularly the gang that was led by Turji, would soon become a thing of the past.

He encouraged Nigerians, especially those that were being terrorized, to continue to cooperate with the military by giving credible intelligence to the frontline troops in order to take action.

Speaking further, Musa disclosed that the Defence Headquarters which served as the coordinator for various operations across all the theatres of operations had harmonised two operations – Operation Hadarin Daji in the North West and Operation Whirl Stroke in the North Central.

He said that the new operation, codenamed Operation Kasar Yamma, would tackle insecurity in the North West headlong, adding that all other operations had been reviewed.