War against terror: Bello Turji still on the run, says army…seizes arms imported from Niger Republic

The Nigeria army has debunked the news of the arrest of notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji who remains elusive despite losing quite a number of gang members.
There have been several reports about the capture of the most wanted criminal in Nigeria after his base was bombarded by the army.
But Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said Tuesday that the military is still hunting for Bello Turji dead or alive. He said, “All news regarding the arrest of Bello Turji by troops should be treated as fake news, please.”
Meanwhile the army has seized a cache of firearms in Zamfara State as the search for Bello Turji intensified.
According to a statement on Tuesday by the Coordinator Joint Media Coordinator Centre, Operation Fansan Yamma, Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, the discovery was made during an operation conducted on Monday, January 27.
He disclosed that the operation was carried out based on intelligence regarding suspected arms dealers operating from the Niger Republic, which led the troops to launch a covert operation to track the suspects, resulting in a pursuit along the Kaura Namoda-Zurmi Road.
“A subsequent search of the vehicle led to the recovery of the following items: 2x PKT machine guns, 9 x AK-47 rifles, 13x magazines, 171 x rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and 9x rounds of PKT ammunition,” the statement read.”
Abdullahi added that the troops are still actively pursuing Turji and assured that despite evading capture by moving from one hideout to another, the bandit leader would soon be captured.
“The troops are actively pursuing the wanted terrorist Bello Turji, who remains at large, evading capture by moving from hideout to hideout.
“We assure the public that our troops are working tirelessly to apprehend him as part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our communities.
“We deeply appreciate the public’s concern regarding this matter and urge locals to continue their support and cooperation by reporting any information that may assist in our efforts,” Abdullahi stated.