The Military High Command has refuted circulating media reports claiming that notorious terrorist leader Bello Turji, responsible for terrorizing Zamfara, Kebbi, and parts of Katsina states, has surrendered.
Major General Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, clarified the situation, stating, “Bandit leader, Bello Turji, has not surrendered. We are still on his trail. So he is still wanted by the military.”
The denial follows claims made by Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Asadus-Sunnah, who announced during a religious gathering in Kaduna that Turji had released 32 kidnapped victims and agreed to cease attacks on farmers after negotiations with clerics in Zamfara State.
According to Asadus-Sunnah, Turji also surrendered some weapons as part of a peace deal aimed at restoring stability in Shinkafi Local Government Area.
Unverified sources quoted the cleric saying, “We met Mr. Turji, Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa, and Malam Ila. The speculation that Dan Bakkolo was killed is not true. These people are the ones terrorising the axis, and they all agreed to the peace proposals, one of which is for them to surrender some of their arms to show commitment to the peace process.”
The cleric further explained, “They surrendered the arms in three phases at different times and allowed the residents of Shinkafi to access their farms in the forest across the river heading to Mr. Turji’s enclaves. We agreed that the Fulanis must be allowed to go to town without being stereotyped or killed by the Vigilante.”
He added, “He (Mr. Turji) also released 32 kidnapped captives as part of the peace agreement,” presenting video evidence of the freed hostages and the challenging terrain they traversed to reach Turji’s camp.
However, Major General Kangye dismissed these claims, reiterating, “Bello Turji is still wanted by the Nigerian military.”
In response to Amnesty International’s recent report accusing the military of extrajudicial killings in the South East, Kangye firmly denied the allegations, stating, “It is not true. The military is not doing any extra-judicial killings in the South East. The armed forces cannot deploy troops to protect the people and the troops turn the same weapons to kill the people.” He criticized the organization, saying, “Amnesty International is fond of this. So the military is not involved in any extrajudicial killings in the South East.”
Meanwhile, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, addressed concerns over military retirees’ unpaid benefits. He confirmed that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, had met with a five-man standing committee on veterans’ welfare to discuss solutions for retired military pensioners. The meeting aimed to establish sustainable measures to address the welfare needs of ex-service personnel.
