…As Kaduna Gov’t laments losing N6bn revenue, over COVID 19 markets’ closure***
The Defence Headquarters says the Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole (OPLD) have eliminated 134 Boko Haram/Islamic States of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and arrested 16 informants in Borno.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, just as the Managing Director, Kaduna Market Management and Development Company (KMDMC), Muhammad Bayero on Monday, said the state had lost N6 billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the last one month. It couldn’t be confirmed that Kaduna generated N6 billion monthly, before COVID-19 pandemic.
Maj.-Gen. John Enenche disclosed that the success was recorded in the ongoing subsidiary operation in the North East Theatre of Operation code-named ‘Operation Kantana Jimlan.
He said the operation, being conducted as part of the conclusive phase of OPLD, was already recording monumental successes.
According to him, the operation is being conducted preparatory to the final routing of BHT/ISWAP criminals from the Nigerian territory by the troops of OPLD.
He said the operation was coordinated by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, adding that it has intensified on various fronts especially within the Timbuktu triangle.
Enenche added that the operation had left the criminal elements and their leadership in complete disarray and thus setting the conditions for the commencement of the final assault on their enclaves and hideouts.
“Several BHT/ISWAP targets were acquired and engaged with precision by Nigerian Army Artillery Regiments across the entire theatre thus delivering accurate fire on the criminals who were seen fleeing in disarray.
“In a coordinated artillery bombardment on Timbuktu triangle conducted on May 1 and 2, seven Boko Haram Gun Trucks were destroyed while 78 BHT/ISWAP fighters were killed as confirmed by both aerial and human intelligence.
“Within the same period, another successful artillery engagement to Buk in Damboa Local Government Area resulted in the neutralization of an additional 56 BHT criminals.
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“Acting on intelligence that a large number of BHT members were converging at the location, the gallant troops of the Nigerian Army Artillery Regiments acquired and engaged the location with deadly precision, inflicting heavy casualties on them.
“As confirmed by our intelligence sources, only a handful of the terrorists escaped the location with gun shot wounds, with little chances of survival,” he said.
Enenche further explained that 16 high profile Boko Haram informants fell into the troops’ dragnet within the last two weeks.
He said that the arrest of such high profile informants had significantly dislocated the terrorists’ information and supply chains and equally dislocating their communication.
According to him, as the gallant troops continue to overwhelm the criminal elements on all fronts, it is quite apparent that the days of the criminal elements called Boko Haram are indeed numbered.
“The Chief of Army Staff, Buratai has been in the Theatre with the troops for the past five weeks.
In the meantime, the Managing Director, Kaduna Market Management and Development Company (KMDMC), Mr Muhammad Bayero, on Monday, said the state had lost N6 billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the last one month.
Addressing a news conference in Kaduna, Bayero said that the lockdown imposed as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic had taken a negative toll on the state’s IGR from its major markets
According to him, the creation of alternative neighborhood markets in some public primary and secondary schools was to ease the hardship occasioned by the lockdown.
He said that the purpose of the markets was to allow people stock up food items and other essential commodities on the two days the government relaxed the lockdown.
Bayero said that the government would continue to ensure strict compliance with the social distancing order in the neighborhood markets to prevent the transmission of the virus.
“Not fewer than seven security personnel will be at all the neighborhood markets to ensure social distancing, anybody going into the market will also have their temperatures screened.
“The markets will provide essentials items to the community at close quarters; to ensure total adherence to the lockdown order, the markets are situated not more than one kilometer from every community,’’ he said.
The official warned that anybody found violating the social distancing order or trying to constitute nuisance in the markets would be severely dealt with.
“It is better to endure the lockdown for three months than for one year. The people of Kaduna should support the government initiative in defeating the virus; irresponsibility would only amount to longer lockdown,” Bayero said.
