Troops neutralise terrorist, recover arms in Kaduna forest

TROOPS of the Nigerian Army conducting clearance operations at Yadi Forest in Kaduna State have neutralised a terrorist and recovered arms and ammunition.

Spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, who made this known in a statement, yesterday, said: “On Tuesday, February 20, the troops smoked out terrorists hibernating in the remote forest area, resulting in a significant clamp down of their activities in the forest.”

According to him, the troops, during the operation, encountered an ambush by the terrorists, but swiftly responded with heavy fire, neutralising one of the attackers, while others scattered in disarray. He said the troops recovered two AK- 47 rifles, six AK- 47 magazines, five rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 331 rounds of 7.62mm x 54 PKT machine gun ammunition, and two PKT machine gun ammunition links.

Other items recovered include three motorbikes, two power generating sets, two desert camouflage, a pair of desert boots, leg and hand chains used for fastening kidnap victims, nine Baofeng radios with nine chargers, one talisman vest, an international passport, two voter cards and two national identity cards.

“Troops have destroyed the terrorists’ camps, which were carefully concealed along the river lines. The troops are still on the trail of the fleeing terrorists to rid the forest of their activities, in a renewed effort to restore peace and stability.

“We urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to security agencies, as we work together to combat terrorism in our country,” the spokesperson added.