The Nigerian military has said security conditions in the South-East have improved significantly, attributing the gains to intensified troop operations and the imprisonment of separatist leaders Nnamdi Kanu and Simon Ekpa.
Major General Michael Onoja said crimes and other criminal activities have reduced across the region over the past year due to sustained military pressure in the South-Eastern states and recent court actions against the group’s leadership.
According to him, the jailing of Simon Ekpa by the Finland authorities and the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu in Abuja have dealt a major blow to the group’s operational strength, weakening its ability to coordinate and carry out attacks.
“Crimes and other criminal activities have significantly decreased during the year following troops’ intensified operations across the South-Eastern states, as well as the recent court rulings against their leader, Simon Ekpa, who was jailed by the Government of the Republic of Finland, and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” Onoja was quoted as saying by Vanguard.
He added that the developments have “substantially degraded the group’s capabilities,” noting that criminal elements had previously relied on attacks against lightly manned checkpoints and security outposts.
Onoja explained that such attacks often led to the killing of security personnel, with weapons seized and later used to fuel further violence in the region.
The military assured that operations would be sustained to consolidate recent gains, protect lives and property, and prevent the regrouping of criminal elements in the South-East.