The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for what he described as major operational gains under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede.
Naijaonpoint understands that Agbese, a Labour Party lawmaker representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, spoke with journalists in Abuja on Sunday.
He said joint military operations had recorded significant progress in the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft and other security threats across the country.
Agbese said renewed cooperation among the Army, Navy, Air Force and other security agencies had produced measurable results.
“Those who genuinely follow developments in our security sector will agree that the Armed Forces have become more coordinated and more decisive in confronting criminal elements,” he said.
“Under the leadership of General Olufemi Oluyede, we are seeing a level of synergy among the services that is producing visible results.”
According to him, the military is no longer merely responding to attacks but taking the fight to terrorists, kidnappers, bandits and oil thieves.
The lawmaker said figures released by the military showed the scale of current operations.
He said in June alone, troops neutralised 129 terrorists and other criminal elements, arrested 486 suspects, rescued 542 kidnapped victims, recovered 130 firearms and 5,538 rounds of ammunition.
He added that troops also dismantled seven illegal refining sites and recovered over 308,000 litres of stolen petroleum products.
Agbese said the second-quarter report showed that troops neutralised 662 terrorists and criminal elements, arrested 1,084 suspects, rescued 951 kidnapped victims, recovered 328 firearms and over 12,500 rounds of ammunition.
He added that 12 illegal refining sites were dismantled, while more than 464,000 litres of stolen petroleum products were recovered.
Agbese praised the rescue of civilians held captive by insurgents in the North-East, describing it as a major humanitarian achievement.
He urged Nigerians to continue supporting the military with credible intelligence.
“Our armed forces cannot fight this battle alone. Citizens must continue to provide timely information, reject collaboration with criminal groups and stand firmly behind our security personnel,” he said.
He added that sustained funding, modern equipment, improved intelligence gathering and better welfare for personnel would strengthen the Armed Forces’ capacity to restore peace.
Agbese said the National Assembly would continue to support initiatives aimed at improving Nigeria’s security architecture and boosting the military’s operational capacity.
