The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has debunked reports that Bello Turji, a notorious Zamfara terrorist commander, has surrendered to security forces, despite claims by respected Islamic clerics that the bandit leader recently entered into a peace pact.
Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, made the clarification during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
Responding to questions from journalists, Kangye stated that the military had no record of Turji’s formal surrender and that any reported negotiation did not involve the armed forces.
“Contrary to circulating reports, Turji has not surrendered to the military. We are aware of certain local peace efforts, but these are outside the official framework,” Kangye said.
His comments come after Sheikh Musa Yusuf, popularly known as Asadus-Sunnah, told worshippers during a religious gathering in Kaduna on Monday that Turji had released 32 kidnapped victims and handed over weapons as part of a cleric-led peace initiative.
According to Sheikh Yusuf, the development followed three meetings in July with Turji and several of his top lieutenants, including Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa, and Malam Ila, deep inside the Fakai forest in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The cleric revealed that 32 hostages, including women and children, were freed, some after spending four months in captivity.
One woman reportedly gave birth while in detention, while another suffered a snake bite.
The terrorists also surrendered a cache of weapons in three phases to demonstrate commitment to the peace process.
Under the reported agreement, farmers in Shinkafi were granted unhindered access to their farmlands, and Fulani residents were promised protection from vigilante profiling or reprisals.
Since the dialogue, Sheikh Yusuf claimed, the area had enjoyed relative calm, with residents resuming farming without fear of abduction.
However, the cleric admitted that a full disarmament was not requested from Turji to prevent him from becoming vulnerable to rival armed groups that were not part of the peace talks.
“Our objective is gradual disarmament and lasting dialogue. Attacking Turji on social media could derail this fragile peace,” he warned.
