On Friday, December 1, 2023, the Nigerian military experienced a setback as a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) MI-35P helicopter crashed during an operation against economic saboteurs around 7:45 am in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. headlinenews.news reports
Major General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, announced the incident in Abuja, revealing that the crash occurred shortly after the aircraft took off for its mission. Despite the severity of the situation, he reported that all five crew members survived with only minor injuries and are currently receiving treatment at the NAF Medical Centre in Port Harcourt. Major General Buba assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted, and the findings would be communicated.
In other military developments this week, successful operations led to the elimination of 52 terrorists, the apprehension of 204 individuals, the arrest of 58 perpetrators involved in oil theft, and the rescue of 234 kidnapped hostages.
Within the South South zone, troops successfully thwarted an oil theft attempt valued at N668,731,000.00. The confiscated loot included 46 assorted weapons, 148 assorted ammunition, 34 vehicles, 64 mobile phones, 47 motorcycles, and a sum of N1,582,690.00, among other items.
In the Niger Delta region, military efforts resulted in the destruction of 7 dugout pits, 25 boats, 47 storage tanks, 5 vehicles, 141 cooking ovens, and the dismantling of 51 illegal refining sites. Notably, troops recovered 267,700 litres of stolen crude oil, 567,700 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 5,000 litres of DPK.
Additionally, between November 22 and 28, 2023, a total of 91 BH/ISWAP terrorists, including 13 adult males, 35 adult females, and 43 children, surrendered to troops in the North East. Major General Buba emphasized that the leadership of terrorist groups remains the primary target of ongoing operations, underscoring the commitment of the armed forces to eradicate terrorists, insurgents, and violent extremist groups within the country.
