Soldiers from the 34 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, stationed in Obinze, Owerri, Imo State have announced the successful obliteration of the stronghold belonging to infamous terrorists under the leadership of Monday Ogu, widely known as B44.
In addition to dismantling the terrorists’ base, the troops uncovered and retrieved corpses suspected to be victims of the terrorist group, buried in shallow graves near the hideout located in Ezioha community, Mbaitoli Council Area of Imo State.
Brigadier General Usman Lawal, the Brigade Commander, addressed the press shortly after the operation on Saturday, highlighting that the mission was executed by his courageous officers based on intelligence insights.
He explained that the terrorists’ base, strategically positioned along the Njaba River, extended across three council areas of Imo State, namely Njaba, Oru East, and Mbaitoli, serving as a hub for their criminal activities.
The commander detailed the range of attacks perpetrated by the criminals, including kidnapping for ransom, robbery of victims’ valuables, destruction of their vehicles through arson, and the fatal targeting of victims, many of whom were interred in shallow graves. Also Read: Hajj: Bauchi Government Reduces Fare Hike by 50% through Subsidy
Furthermore, the commander highlighted the terrorists’ practice of vandalizing vehicles belonging to their victims, salvaging and selling off their components, while rendering the vehicles unrecognizable through deliberate destruction.
He urged residents of the state to provide security agencies with valuable information that could aid in locating and neutralizing terrorists and other criminal elements operating within their jurisdiction.
“We are committed to eradicating the presence of criminal elements and restoring peace to the affected communities, allowing residents to return and resume their normal lives,” he asserted.
“Subsequent to the successful clearance of the terrorists’ hideout by our brave troops, we have retrieved the bodies of the victims for comprehensive forensic examination. Our objective is to identify them and, where feasible, facilitate their repatriation to their families for a dignified burial,” he concluded.