The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has debunked reports claiming that notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has been arrested.
Speaking on Tuesday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, dismissed the rumors, stating, “All news regarding the arrest of Bello Turji by troops should be treated as fake news, please.”
The clarification followed social media reports alleging that troops of Operation Fasan Yamma in Nigeria’s North West region had captured Turji.
Similarly, counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama also refuted claims of Turji’s arrest. In a statement on X, Makama described the reports as false and misleading, adding that an audio recording circulating online, where two individuals claimed Turji had been captured, was baseless.
Makama confirmed that Bello Turji remains at large, but security forces are intensifying their efforts to track and apprehend him.
The statement reads, “The purported audio recording, in which two individuals are heard claiming that Bello Turji has been captured, is misleading and lacks any credible basis. We urge the public to disregard such unfounded rumours.
“Bello Turji remains at large, and from the last check, security forces are intensifying efforts to locate and apprehend him.”
