By Harriet Tornguvan -Abuja
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 categorically that Turji remains at large and is still wanted for his role in multiple violent attacks across Zamfara and Sokoto States.
“Bello Turji has not surrendered. He is still a wanted criminal,” Kangye said, refuting claims that the bandit leader had disarmed and released 32 hostages as part of a peace deal allegedly brokered by Islamic clerics in Zamfara.
The DHQ described such reports as false and misleading.
Maj.-Gen. Kangye also addressed other recent allegations, including claims by Amnesty International accusing troops of extrajudicial killings in the South-East. He dismissed these accusations as unfounded, insisting that the Nigerian military does not target civilians.
“The military does not engage in indiscriminate violence.
"Anyone with a phone can spread information, but we assure you no extrajudicial killings are happening in the South-East, he added.
On protests by some retired military personnel, Kangye explained that the Military Pensions Board, the DHQ Chief of Accounts and Budget, and the Minister of Finance have already engaged with the veterans to address their concerns, noting that only a small group was involved and their issues are being resolved.
