The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has refuted recent claims that Bello Turji, one of the most notorious bandit leaders in Nigeria’s north-west, has surrendered to the military.
Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, provided clarity on the matter while giving updates on the activities of the armed forces.
“Simple answer to the question about terrorist leader, Bello Turji… Turji has not surrendered. We are still on the look out for him,” Kangye said.
Turji, who is known to operate predominantly in Zamfara and Sokoto states, has been linked to numerous deadly raids on rural communities. His reign of terror is also marked by a brutal taxation system in some villages, where those who fail to pay are reportedly barred from farming or keeping livestock.
Recent media reports had suggested that the bandit leader had laid down his arms and released 32 abducted individuals following a peace deal allegedly facilitated by Islamic clerics in Zamfara. According to those reports, Turji’s group surrendered their weapons in three phases and permitted locals to resume farming in previously occupied territories.
