The director-general of the National Orientation Agency, Issa-Onilu, has lauded the achievements of security agencies and other government departments in delivering their mandates between June and July.

Mr Issa-Onilu gave the commendation at the August joint security briefing in Abuja. According to him, from the North-East to the Niger Delta, the country’s security forces are reclaiming peace, one operation at a time; Nigeria is fighting back decisively and collaboratively.

“In 326 operations by the Nigeria Police, 2,109 criminals were arrested, 175 kidnapped victims rescued, 78 terrorists neutralised, and six arms trafficking rings dismantled. Similarly, in 1,572 raids conducted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency,  2.9 million kg of narcotics were seized, and 720 conflicts were resolved by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

“The federal government has escalated security operations nationwide, merging tactical enforcement with intelligence-led intervention. Banditry, insurgency,  trafficking, and other crimes are being tackled through seamless inter-agency cooperation. We urged citizens to report threats, avoid amplifying unverified content, and join hands with authorities to protect our communities,” Mr Issa-Onilu said.

He explained that, within the months under review, various arms and ammunition were recovered, and the National Agency for Food, Drug, and Administration Control seized ten containers of tramadol and expired tomato paste.

The NOA boss noted that drugs and illegal arms are the oxygen of criminality,  adding that the federal enforcement agencies were systematically disabling such supply chains on our highways, borders, and in markets.

Mr Issa-Onilu called on Nigerians to say no to drugs, report peddlers, and support reform users, stressing that communities were the front line in this war.

Regarding the protection of critical infrastructure and natural resources, he stated that the NSCDC dismantled a total of 12 illegal refineries, three mining gangs, and seven oil theft trucks within the months under review, and seized N752.2 million worth of stolen petroleum products. He added that the Federal Fire Service saved N319.5 billion in fire disasters and also improved response time by 33 per cent.

He further said the National Emergency Management Agency had supported 42 rescued Boko Haram captives and many flood victims across the country. He also stated that, while the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission hosted 352 anti-corruption events, reaching 209,339 citizens, the NOA-led misinformation countering effort was supported by 87 government press advisories.

(NAN)