Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), has revealed that Bello Turji, a notorious bandit kingpin operating in Zamfara State, has expressed willingness to surrender.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, on Friday, Musa attributed Turji’s change of stance to intensified military operations that have significantly weakened his group.
According to the CDS, the military’s efforts led to the elimination of Turji’s second-in-command and several top lieutenants, leaving the bandit leader with dwindling options.
“We have taken out his second-in-command and most of his lieutenants. He is now forced to release many of the people under him.
“Recently, he has started saying he doesn’t want anything anymore; he is ready to surrender”, Musa said.
Musa acknowledged the difficulties in tracking Turji and his group due to their mobility and the vast terrain they exploit.
“North-west is over 200,000 square kilometres with a large forest area. “Once they go under the forest, it becomes difficult to track them. The terrorists are within communities, and though people know them, the information often comes too late”, he explained.
He, however, reiterated the military’s determination to eliminate threats posed by individuals like Turji.
“Anyone who has killed should face justice. People like him should not be allowed to stay”, he said.
Musa also raised concerns about the sources of funding for terrorist groups, suggesting that some foreign entities envious of Nigeria’s progress might be supporting them.
“This is the one million dollar question: who is funding them? While they get money from kidnappings, livestock rustling, and robbery, we have also seen evidence of external funding. Some arrested insurgents in the north-east were found with hard currencies. How did they get these?”, he asked.
The CDS further speculated that some nations might be working to destabilize Nigeria. “People don’t understand that many countries are envious of us. Some even predicted we wouldn’t survive past 2015, yet here we are in 2025, still standing.”
He noted the military will continue to intensify operations across the north-west as it seeks to bring an end to the banditry and insurgency that have plagued the region for years.
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