The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has refuted claims that notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has surrendered, insisting he remains at large and is still being actively pursued by security forces.
Turji, a feared kingpin operating mainly in Zamfara and Sokoto states, is accused of masterminding numerous attacks on communities in the North-West.
Recent reports suggested that he had surrendered some weapons and released 32 kidnap victims under a peace deal allegedly brokered by Islamic clerics in Zamfara State.
However, speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, dismissed the reports as lacking credibility and thorough verification.
He said, “Well, you asked if it is true that bandit leader Bello Triji has surrendered, and that an Islamic cleric took ownership of the negotiation that led to his surrender. If I get you right. Simple answer, Bello Turji has not surrendered, we are hot on his trail.”
Kangye also dismissed recent allegations by Amnesty International that troops conducting operations in Southeast engaged in extrajudicial killings, describing them as unfounded.
He said “What do you mean by extrajudicial killing? Is it that soldiers carry their weapons, go to the street and start shooting people? You know what Amnesty International is doing. You know what they used to publish.
“Like I always tell you, everybody with a phone in his hand is a potential source of information to the whole world.
“But I can tell you that the military is not engaged in any extrajudicial killing in the southeast.”
On the recent protests by some retired military personnel, Kangye explained that only a few individuals were involved in the demonstrations, but the matter was addressed last week by the Military Pensions Board alongside the Chief of Accounts and Budget at the Defence Headquarters and the Minister of Finance, during a meeting with the aggrieved veterans.
He said, “This issue was addressed by the military pensions board last week. I remember when the chief of account and budget in the defence headquarters went for the meeting with him and those aggrieved retired personnel.
“You see, one issue to understand is that when two or three jumped up and used the mouths of others to propagate or send out messages, it can be said that the retired personnel of the armed forces did this.
“So the few that came out, the chairman of the military pensions board and the chief of account and budget of the defence headquarters and also the minister of finance also, there were members that went to talk and speak with them and I think they were sure that that issue had been addressed.”
The Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, said the Chief of Defence Staff met on Tuesday with a five-man standing committee set up by the Ministry of Defence to address veterans’ welfare concerns.
The committee, he said, is working on modalities to improve support for military veterans.
Gusau said, “I want to inform you that just yesterday the CDS had a meeting with a five-man standing committee which was constituted by the ministry of defence to address this issue. It has been headed by a retired Air Commodore.
“They were here yesterday afternoon. They had a meeting with CDS and modernities have been worked out on how to address the welfare needs of our veterans.”
