…Lists Troops’ Operational Gains in One Week
From Atiku Sarki, Abuja
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed reports claiming that notorious terrorist leader Bello Turji surrendered to the military and released 32 kidnapped victims in a peace deal brokered by Islamic clerics in Zamfara State.
Speaking at a briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, described the reports as false, stressing that Turji remains at large and is still being pursued.
He said Turji is a key figure behind numerous killings and kidnappings in Shinkafi, Sabon Birni, and Isah in Zamfara and Sokoto states.
Kangye also rejected accusations by Amnesty International alleging extrajudicial killings by troops in the South-East, insisting the claims were baseless and unsubstantiated.
“The military does not engage in indiscriminate violence. Our soldiers are deployed to protect civilians, not harm them,” he said.
On the recent protests by some retired military personnel, Kangye explained that the Military Pensions Board, in collaboration with the Defence Headquarters and the Ministry of Finance, had met with the affected veterans to address their concerns, noting that only a small group was involved in the demonstrations.
Highlighting operational successes in the past week, Kangye said troops, in conjunction with other security agencies, dismantled terrorist networks, conducted raids, ambushes, and patrols, while the air component carried out targeted strikes that eliminated Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Jama’atu Ansaril Muslimina fi Biladis Sudan (JAS) fighters and destroyed their camps.
He added that increased military presence has allowed farmers to continue their activities unhindered and assured that troops, alongside hybrid forces, would sustain efforts to restore peace in troubled areas.