The Defence Headquarters claimed on Friday troops deployed to theatres of operation killed a notorious terrorist commander identified as Abu Mosaje and 96 other terrorists across the country last week.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, said in a statement in Abuja that Abu Mosaje was killed in Barkin Ladi local government area of Plateau State.
He added that the same troops apprehended a wanted kidnap kingpin, Babangida Usman, in the Sanga local government area of Kaduna State.
Buba said that Babangida had been on the security watch list.
According to him, the military has intensified counter-terrorism operations across the nation targeting not just the terrorist but their network of collaborators, informants, and support bases.
The spokesman said: “Furthermore, troops arrested another notorious gunrunner and his son identified as Timothy Yusuf and Timothy Obadiah.
“Meanwhile, in the South East, troops arrested seven IPOB/ESN terrorists including a notorious kidnapper and informants in Enugu North and Ehime Mbano Local Government Areas of Enugu and Imo States.
“Nevertheless, during the week under review, troops neutralised 79 and arrested 224 persons.
“Troops also arrested 28 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 67 kidnapped hostages.
“Troops in the South-South denied the oil thieves of the estimated sum of N747m during the week.
“They also discovered and destroyed 215 crude oil cooking ovens, 26 dugout pits, 29 boats, 62 storage tanks, 20 drums, and 42 illegal refining sites.”