Garba Mohammed
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed media reports claiming that notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, has surrendered to the military.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, stated that there was no truth to the claims.
Turji, who operates mainly in Zamfara and Sokoto states, has been on the military’s wanted list for years over multiple attacks on communities in the North-West. He is accused of masterminding mass killings, kidnappings, and other violent crimes.
Recent unconfirmed reports suggested that Turji had laid down his arms and released 32 kidnap victims following a peace initiative led by Islamic clerics in Zamfara State. These reports also claimed that negotiations were underway for his reintegration into society.
Maj. Gen. Kangye, however, insisted that Turji remained at large, warning against the spread of unverified information that could mislead the public and undermine military operations.
The DHQ reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing counter-insurgency efforts in the region, pledging that security forces would not relent until Turji and other top bandit leaders were captured or neutralised.