Troops of the Nigerian Army have in the last 24 hours, rescued 34 kidnap victims, apprehended suspected ISWAP informants and recovered arms, ammunition in coordinated operations nationwide.

This is contained in an operational report made available on Sunday.

The report said that troops of Operation HADIN KAI rescued 31 kidnap victims from terrorists along the Buratai-Kamuya road in Biu Local Government Area of Borno.

It said the rescue followed a swift response after troops of 135 Special Forces Battalion detected ISWAP/JAS terrorists abducting civilians from four vehicles through CCTV surveillance.

According to the report, troops immediately deployed a quick reaction force, engaged the terrorists and forced them to abandon the victims and flee with one motorcycle left behind.

“In another operation, troops of 145 Battalion conducted a fighting patrol to the Turoh general area of Damasak in Mobbar Local Government Area.

“The terrorists reportedly fled on sighting the troops, leaving behind two motorcycles and illicit drugs recovered during exploitation of the area.

“Also, troops of 232 Battalion Tactical apprehended a suspected ISWAP informant at Garaha Market in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa,” it said.

In the North-West, the report revealed that troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA engaged terrorists moving with rustled cattle in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara.

It added that the troops’ superior fire power forced the terrorists to withdraw in disarray during the encounter.

The report also revealed that troops of Operation MESA rescued a kidnapped woman and her two children along the old Obajana-Jakura-Tajimi road in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi.

According to the report, preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were abducted on July 29 from a Ruga settlement in the Gada-Biyu area of the same local government.

“In Plateau State, troops of Operation Enduring Peace responded to reports of an attack on a herder in Bassa Local Government Area.

“The assailants had fled before the troops arrived, while the deceased and recovered cattle were handed over to the victim’s family,” it added.

In the South-East, the report said the troops of Operation UDO KA recorded a major breakthrough with the arrest of three suspected terrorists linked to the ambush of troops in Imo on May 4.

It added that the operation, conducted in Delta and Imo States, followed intelligence obtained from earlier arrested suspects.

According to the report, troops recovered four AK-47 rifles, one FN rifle, a pistol, 11 AK-47 magazines, two FN magazines, 239 rounds of assorted ammunition, a fragmentation jacket and other military items from terrorist camps.

“The recovered weapons included rifles earlier carted away during the May ambush on troops, while further exploitation led to the discovery of another terrorist camp containing additional arms and ammunition,” it said. 

The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, has insisted that the scandal involving the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, led by its purported Director General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, has exposed President Bola Tinubu’s Presidency as a den of corruption.

Abdullahi said Nigerians should be embarrassed that the PFIPC scam has created a bad impression of the country before the international community.

In an interview with Symfoni TV, Abdullahi said Nigerians and the world now sees Tinubu’s Presidency as one involved in racketeering.

He said: “Not just Tinubu but all of us as Nigerians should feel collectively embarrassed because the impression that has been created before the world today is that the Nigerian presidency is a den of corruption, there has been whispers of people taking money to award contracts, taking money in the presidency to arrangement appointment with the president, people taking money to get appointments for people in agencies and parastatals, we never believed it because we said that it could never be that bad.

“I have been a minister and I compared my time and I said it’s not possible but with this Adeyemi’s allegation, people are thinking that this is just the one that is out, this thing has been going on for a long time and it’s just business as usual under Tinubu, this is just the one that got out.”

He charged Tinubu to ensure that the matter is properly investigated to clear his Presidency of being complicit in corruption.

“And that is why I said that Tinubu has a duty to himself to ensure that this matter is investigated and proven beyond all doubts that his presidency is not complicit in this level of corruption that has shaken the firmament of our nation.

“He started by exonerating his Chief of Staff that I have confidence in him but what people are hearing is I’m protecting my Chief of Staff, it’s not good for him,” he said.

Abdullahi charged Gbajabiamila to proceed on leave and allow for an independent investigation into the scam.

He added: “People believe that the Chief of Staff has colluded in corruption of this magnitude but he said no I have no hand in it, then why are you afraid of an independent panel to investigate? If I were Gbajabiamila, I would go to the president and say I offer to go on leave because it’s my name that is being dragged in the mud and no amount of money on earth is worth my name.

“I offer to proceed on leave so that this investigation can be carried out so that I can be exonerated beyond all doubts but you are sitting in the office while all this stench of corruption is spelling around you?”