THE Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has said that the power of notorious terrorist leader, Bello Turji, had been significantly weakened, following a recent military onslaught on his foot soldiers.
Musa disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Friday, January 25, where he discussed ongoing military efforts against terrorists in Northern Nigeria.
The CDS explained that the military had neutralised key figures within Turji’s network, leaving him increasingly isolated.
He noted that the sustained offensive has left Turji with limited options.
“I can tell you that, we have taken out his second in command, we have taken out most of his lieutenants he is forced now to release most of the people under him.
“I am telling you that recently, he is beginning to say that he doesn’t want anything, he is ready to surrender. We want to take everybody out. Anybody who has killed people should go” he added.
On Wednesday, January 22, the Nigerian Military disclosed that troops of Operation Fansan Yamma neutralised the Turji’s second in command Aminu Kanawa.
According to a statement by the Defence Spokesperson, Edward Buba, the troops also inflicted terminal injuries on some of Turji’s close allies identified as Dosso (Bello Turji’s younger brother) and Danbokolo (one of Turji’s closest allies).
The statement further revealed that the troops eliminated several of Bello Turji’s top commanders, including Abu Dan Shehu, Jabbi Dogo, Dan Kane, Basiru Yellow, Kabiru Gebe, Bello Buba, and Dan Inna Kahon-Saniya-Yafi-Bahaushe, among others
Turji, one of the most prominent terrorist leaders in the Northwest, has been linked to numerous kidnappings, violent attacks, and killings across the region.
However, the CDS acknowledged the success of military operations in undermining his operations and weakening his influence.
Commenting on challenges faced by the military in tackling insecurity, Musa said terrorists operating in the Northwest rely on difficult terrain and community ties to evade security forces.
“Northwest is over 200,000 square kilometres, it’s a massive area with a large forest area. Once they go under the forest, it’s difficult to take them out.
He explained that terrorists often blend into communities, making it harder for security operatives to act swiftly.
“They (terrorists) are within the communities; the people know them. So, sometimes when they see them, before you get the information, it’s like two hours – the man has moved. So, when the information gets to you before you move, he has left that area” he said.
When asked about the terrorist funder, Musa stressed that criminal activities such as kidnapping and robbery provide a significant source of revenue but hinted at external support.
“Sometimes they got funding from kidnapping, robbery, and all these things they do. But again we can’t rule out…like I told you in the northeast, when we arrested some of them, they had hard currency to change. How did they get those monies?”
He reaffirmed the military’s commitment to eliminating all terrorist threats in the region and holding perpetrators accountable.
Musa said the Nigerian military is determined to eradicate any group or individual involved in killing innocent people.
The ICIR also reported that troops from Sector 2 of the Joint Task Force North-West, Operation Fansan Yamma, have last December, arrested a 25-year-old suspected female ammunition courier, Shamsiyya Ahadu.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M