According to the Defence Headquarters, troops on operations in the states of Kogi and Borno stopped terrorist and political thugs from carrying out planned attacks to sabotage the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections there.

The military high command stated that the terrorists had planned to assault a few areas in Borno’s Kauwa, Gamboru, and Monguno, adding that forces executed an airstrike there in response to an intelligence report.

Maj. Gen. Musa Danmadami, Director of Defence Media Operations, said on Thursday during the biweekly briefing on troop activities in Abuja that troops on patrol at Okehi town in the Okenne Local Government Area of Kogi State on February 25 arrested eight political thugs in an effort to obstruct the electoral process.

He said, “Notably, on February 24, 2023, intelligent report revealed terrorist convergence with plans to attack some locations in Kauwa, Gamboru, and Monguno in Borno State in a bid to disrupt the 2023 general elections.

“Consequently, a series of air interdiction operations were carried out at these identified locations. Feedback revealed that the airstrike dealt with terrorists, as several terrorists were neutralised with their logistics destroyed.

“Troops on patrol at Okehi town in Okenne Local Government Area of Kogi State on 25 February 2023 arrested eight political thugs in an attempt to disrupt the electoral process. Troops recovered three pump-action guns, two locally-fabricated AK-47 rifles, six locally-made assorted guns, and two daggers.”

He said troops on Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East and Hadarin  Daji neutralised 21 terrorists, arrested 35 terrorist logistics suppliers, and rescued 36 civilians while a total of 1,332 terrorists and their family members, comprising 222 males, 411 females, and 699 children, surrendered at different locations within the theatre of operations.
Danmadami also said troops, acting on credible intelligence, apprehended a terrorist commander alongside his wife and four children at Gwoza town in the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

He said, “Based on credible intelligence, troops, while in ambush position, apprehended a Boko Haram terrorists’ commander alongside his wife and four children at Gwoza town in the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. Troops recovered two AK47 rifles loaded with 12 rounds of refilled 7.62mm special ammunition, one bandolier, 10 rounds of fabricated 7.62mm ammunition, seven rounds of 5.56mm ammunition and one mobile phone.”

He added that between  February 23 and March 8, 2023, troops ambushed terrorists as well as intercepted terrorists’ logistics suppliers in villages within Marte, Konduga, Bama, Biu, Monguno, and Gwoza Local Government Areas of Borno State.

He said troops on patrol at Gusau in the Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State intercepted a female bandit collaborator, who was en route to Taraba State with the sum of N1,093,000.00 only concealed in a cosmetic bag, adding that the recovered sum was believed to be for the purchase of arms and ammunition in Taraba State.

On February 26, he also said troops on patrol in Gusau town in the Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State, arrested a suspected bandit collaborator with the sum of N9.5m.