Nigerian Military Denies Reports of Notorious Bandit Leader's Surrender
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has officially refuted circulating reports that Bello Turji, a notorious bandit leader who operates primarily in Zamfara and Sokoto states, has surrendered to the military. The denial was made by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, during a press briefing in Abuja.
"Turji has not surrendered; we are still on the lookout for him," Maj. Gen. Kangye stated. He clarified that any reported surrender or peace talks did not involve the armed forces, urging the public to disregard the claims.
These statements follow a series of reports, fueled by claims from some Islamic clerics, that Turji had entered a peace pact. According to the clerics, Turji had allegedly surrendered some weapons and released 32 kidnapped victims as part of a peace initiative. A prominent cleric, Sheikh Musa Yusuf (also known as Asadus-Sunnah), reportedly showed videos of the released captives and stated that the agreement was reached after meetings in July.
However, the DHQ has firmly rejected these claims, reiterating that Turji remains a wanted individual and that military operations to track him are ongoing. The military's position is that any negotiations with such individuals must be conducted through official security channels and not external parties.