The Defence Headquarters on Tuesday described bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, as a “useless man strolling,” vowing that he and different terrorists commanders gained’t dwell past 2025.
In a current viral video, Turji, who operates in Zamfara State, challenged the army to a battle, alleging that they had been concentrating on aged individuals.
Turji additionally demanded the discharge of his brother, Baka Wurgi, and threatened to unleash mayhem on residents of Zamfara communities by December finish if Wurgi was not launched.
Reacting on the end-of-year briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, said that he wouldn’t have interaction in a disagreement with the terrorist kingpin however vowed that Turji can be eradicated, identical to different commanders earlier than him.
He stated, “Certainly, Bello Turji is merely a useless man strolling. Will probably be insulting to attempt to take points or be a part of phrases with a terrorist. Earlier than him, there have been different terrorists who boasted that they’d take care of safety forces. As we speak they’ve all been taken out.
We’ll do the identical with different terrorist leaders like him.
“All these terrorist leaders that we’re seeing at present, earlier than them, there have been some that thought that they had been champion upon champion. The place are they? They’re buried. They’re useless. And I guarantee you that these of them which are leaders at present, commanders or no matter they name themselves, simply be careful. I’ll from this platform inform you we now have buried them (terrorist leaders) on the battlefield, as a result of that’s their destiny in 2025. They’re useless males strolling. C’est fini.”
Reacting to a report by The PUNCH on Tuesday, the place Amnesty Worldwide requested the army to submit particulars of the Sokoto unintentional bombing to the Legal professional Common of the Federation for investigation, Buba stated the army would comply solely after the organisation honours its invitation.
He stated, “We prolonged an invite to them for us to have a look at some allegations that they levelled in opposition to the army, which we discovered to be very surprising and deceptive and unlucky. We’re ready for them. And now that they’ve give you one other request, we are going to benefit from once they honour that invitation to indicate them what they’ve requested to see. So the ball is of their court docket. We await Amnesty Worldwide.”
Talking additional on the Sokoto incident, Buba urged the residents to not be swayed by terrorist propaganda on the incident.
He stated, “Don’t give in to terrorist propaganda. If issues have occurred with that bombing that came about within the North-West on Christmas Day and you’re listening to completely different phrases going out, you assume that the terrorists can be glad that we bombed them? They are going to, after all, put up propaganda. Don’t feed into their propaganda, please.”
Reeling out the success of the army in 2024, Buba stated over 1,000 terrorist commanders and combatants had been killed.
He stated, “Throughout the course of the 12 months, troops eradicated over a thousand notable terrorist leaders, commanders and combatants amongst others. A few of these eradicated in the midst of the 12 months embody: Dutse Mainasara Idda, Mallam Saleh Umaru, Mohammed Amadu, Chinemerem (aka Bam Bam), Jeremiah Uzuoma (aka Escoba), Tochukwu Awo (aka Ojoto) and Egwuatu, amongst others.”
In complete, Buba stated 10,937 terrorists had been killed in numerous operations, 12,538 arrested, 8,815 weapons, 228,004 ammunitionrounds had been recovered and seven,063 kidnapped victims rescued.
He stated, “Throughout the 12 months, troops considerably degraded the army capabilities in addition to the combating capabilities of terrorists by neutralising 10,937 terrorists, arresting 12,538 and rescuing 7,063 hostages. Moreover, troops recovered 8,815 weapons, 228,004 ammunition.
“The breakdown of the recoveries are as follows: 4,332 AK47 rifles, 1,244 locally-fabricated weapons, 838 Dane weapons, 259 pump-action weapons, 128,496 rounds of seven.62mm particular ammo, 45,445 rounds of seven.62mm NATO, 5,103 cartridges, 2,131 assorted arms and 29,176 assorted ammunition rounds.”
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