The Defence Headquarters has said its troops recovered over N688m from oil thieves in the nation’s oil-producing region of the country.
The defence spokesperson, Edward Buba disclosed this on Thursday while briefing the press in Abuja.
Buba said the troops arrested 35 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 188 kidnapped hostages.
The troops in the Niger Delta area also destroyed two dugout pits, 58 boats and 39 storage tanks.
Other items recovered include 13 cooking ovens, 35 drums, one motorcycle, one tricycle, four-speed boats, 13 vehicles and 65 illegal refining sites.
“Troops recovered 789,200 litres of stolen crude oil and 64,950 litres of illegally refined AGO,” Buba said.
Also, the military noted that in its effort to defeat and dismantle terror networks across the country, its troops killed 165 and arrested 238 persons in the past week.
Among those killed, according to the military, is the notorious terrorist commander in Jigawa State known as Mai Hijabi.
Buba said Hijabi was eliminated from the battlefield during the past week.
In the course of their operation, Buba said the troops recovered 153 assorted weapons and 2,182 assorted ammunition.
The breakdown is as follows: 81 AK47 rifles, 23 fabricated rifles, 27 Dane guns, 13 pump action guns, 5 locally made pistols, three revolver pistols, 30 AK47 magazines and one bayonet.
Others are 1,561 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 278 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 70 rounds of 50mm ammo, 72 rounds of 9mm ammo, 87 live cartridges, one baofeng radio, 19 vehicles, 21 motorcycles, 45 mobile phones and the sum of N64,100 only amongst other items.
Buba said, “Our role in the ongoing war is clear and we are winning the war. The military is not oblivious of some security challenges faced by citizens in certain quarters and are reassessing operations in those areas to better secure and protect citizens.
“The armed forces seize this opportunity to caution persons or groups, from making threats or inflammatory comments on untoward activities against troops presence or deployment as a result of ongoing operations.
“The outcome of such an act is better imagined than experienced.
“Troops recognize the urgency to ensure peace and security for all citizens across the country. Accordingly, working on new strategies to better protect the nation and citizens.”