The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced the death of a notorious terrorist commander, Mai Hijabi, in a military operation conducted in Jigawa State earlier this week. The operation is part of the military’s ongoing efforts to weaken the fighting capabilities of terrorist groups across northern Nigeria.

During a press briefing on the military’s activities, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, revealed that in addition to the death of Mai Hijabi, a total of 165 terrorists were killed and 238 suspects arrested by troops in various theatres of operation.

“Our operations have significantly degraded the combat capacity of terror groups and their leadership. For example, one of the notorious terrorist commanders in Jigawa State, known as Mai Hijabi, was eliminated from the battlefield during the week. Troops are making significant strides across all areas of operation,” Maj. Gen. Buba stated.

He also highlighted that 188 kidnapped victims were rescued during the week, marking further success in the military’s campaign against insurgents.

In addition to the efforts against terrorism, the military also tackled oil theft in the Niger Delta, where 35 suspects were arrested, preventing the theft of crude oil valued at approximately N688 million. Troops destroyed 58 boats, 39 storage tanks, and 65 illegal refining sites, while recovering 789,200 litres of stolen crude oil and 64,950 litres of illegally refined diesel (AGO).

During these operations, a large cache of weapons was seized, including 81 AK-47 rifles, 23 fabricated rifles, 27 Dane guns, and over 2,000 rounds of assorted ammunition. Other recovered items included vehicles, motorcycles, mobile phones, and N64,100 in cash.

These ongoing operations underscore the military’s commitment to disrupting terrorist activities and criminal enterprises throughout the country.