Kehinde Fajobi
The Nigerian Army has announced the capture of Abubakar Ibrahim, a high-profile terrorist leader known as Habu Dogo, as part of intensified operations across the nation.
According to Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, the arrest took place earlier this week in Rumji Village, Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Buba explained, “This development is a significant achievement in our ongoing counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations that are effectively weakening terrorist networks across the country.”
Dogo had been on the watch lists of security agencies in both Nigeria and Niger Republic due to his cross-border criminal activities.
Alongside Dogo’s arrest, the military reported the neutralisation of 187 suspects and the detention of 262 others involved in various criminal activities, including terrorism, oil theft, and other security threats.
In the Southeast, military forces captured seven IPOB and ESN operatives, including commanders like Dr Nnamdi Chukwudoze and Chigozie Ezetoha, who were arrested in Ihiala, Anambra State.
Other suspects were apprehended in Umuahia South, Umunneochi in Abia, and Orsu in Imo State.
The army detailed a large cache of weapons seized in operations nationwide, including 205 assorted firearms and 5,241 rounds of ammunition, covering rifles, pistols, and fabricated firearms.
Recovered items include six vehicles, 29 motorcycles, 55 mobile phones, and communication devices.
Troops in the Niger Delta intercepted a significant volume of stolen crude oil and illegally refined products, seizing over 1,090,135 litres of crude oil and 873,510 litres of illegally refined diesel.
They also dismantled extensive networks of illegal refineries, destroying 49 crude oil ovens, 11 dugout pits, 72 boats, 30 storage tanks, and 98 illegal refining sites.
Additional equipment seized included four speedboats, a tricycle, pumping machines, motorcycles, and other vehicles.
“Our forces are continuously dismantling criminal networks that threaten Nigeria’s security and economic stability,” Buba stated, highlighting the importance of these ongoing efforts to protect the nation.
The army vowed to continue its counter-terrorism and anti-theft operations with heightened intensity, targeting terrorists and criminal elements across all regions of Nigeria.