The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has refuted claims that Bello Turji, a notorious bandit leader operating in the North-West, has surrendered to the military.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, addressed the issue on Thursday in Abuja while briefing journalists on recent military activities.
“In response to the question about the terrorist leader, Bello Turji, he has not surrendered. We are still actively pursuing him,” Kangye stated.
Turji is widely known for orchestrating violent attacks across Zamfara and Sokoto states and is alleged to run a brutal extortion system in certain communities, where residents who fail to pay are barred from farming or raising livestock.
Recent unverified reports had claimed that Turji surrendered some of his weapons and released 32 kidnapped victims as part of a peace initiative reportedly brokered by Islamic clerics in Zamfara State.
According to the reports, his group allegedly disarmed in phases and allowed displaced residents to return to farming in areas once under their control.
However, the military has dismissed these accounts, confirming that Turji remains at large and under active surveillance.
