On Thursday, the military’s top brass stated that their troops had captured individuals suspected of supplying Bello Turji, the commander of the bandits, with weaponry.
The military did not release any information about the three suspects that were arrested in Kaduna between November 14 and 17, 2023.
On November 14, 2022, the Defence Headquarters announced that Turji and eighteen others were wanted and put a N95 million reward on their heads.
It is believed that in January of 2022, Turji, one of the most feared bandit kingpins, was responsible for the deaths of over 200 individuals, including women and children.
Over eighty people in the village of Garki, Sokoto, were killed in a single night in 2021, and he was considered to be behind the massacre.
Multiple military airstrikes had been directed against Turji, but he had always managed to avoid being killed.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, informed media in Abuja that the suspects were en route to provide weapons and ammunition to the bandit commander in Zamfara when they were apprehended.
He disclosed, “Between November 14 and 17, 2023, in Zango Kataf and Kagarko LGAs of Kaduna State, troops in separate operations detained three alleged guns traffickers (names withheld).
“Preliminary inquiry revealed that they were on their way to provide munitions to Bello Turji, who is a known terrorist leader in Zamfara State.
“Troops recovered 504 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammo, 100 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammo, three RPG chargers, three mobile phones, one ATM card, and one vehicle.”
Mismob Media