The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said that troops killed countless notorious terrorists, arresting 1,191 others across various theatres of operation three months ago maintaining that granting amnesty to criminals is strange to military rules.
Director of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Major General Markus Kangye stated this at yesterday briefing of defencecorrespondents in Abuja for the second quarter of 2025.
He stated at the briefing attended by the Director of DefenceInformation, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau and service spokesmen that several notorious criminals eliminated within the period under review included Amir Abu Fatimah, Kinging Auta, Abdul Jamilu, Salisu, Mallam Jidda, Maiwada, Mai Dada, and Nwachi Eze, otherwise known as Onowu.
“Just two days ago, bandit kingpin Yellow Danbokkolosuccumbed to injuries sustained during an encounter with troops the previous week where many of his lieutenants were also eliminated,” he said.
He further disclosed that while the troops also rescued 543 kidnapped victims, they arrested several notorious gunrunners and kidnappers including Buhari Umar, Hassam Mohammed, Saleh Sani, Adamu Dan Mai, Idi Yusuf, Hassan Bello, Muhammed Isah, Shimu Adamu, Ismaila Hassan, Michael, and Shittu Muazu.
Fielding reporters’ questions on the possibility of the military granting amnesty to such criminals, Major General Kangyeflatly ruled it out, emphasizing that the military had established rules of engagement governing its operations.
According to him, it is outside the constitutional role of the military to grant amnesty or determine the prosecution of surrendered terrorists and bandits arrested during military operations. Such decisions rest with the appropriate government agencies and the judiciary.
Major General Markus Kangye’s clarification is against the backdrop of recent reports of bandit commanders in KatsinaState surrendering and releasing hostages in exchange for amnesty.
Speaking on the role of the Armed Forces in cases involving suspects arrested in various theatres of operation, Major General Kangye emphasized that the military’s primary responsibility was to arrest, detain temporarily, and hand over suspects to the appropriate authorities.
“The Armed Forces are not the ones to grant amnesty,” Kangyesaid, adding, “We carry out operations based on the rules of engagement and existing military conduct. Once suspects are arrested, their cases are reviewed by relevant authorities not the military to determine if they will face prosecution or be granted amnesty.”
He explained that the process of determining amnesty or legal outcomes for detainees involves a thorough evaluation by civil authorities, including the judiciary, not by operational commanders or military high command.
“It’s not for the people to suggest who gets amnesty. And it’s certainly not within our operational mandate to make that decision,” he said.
When asked about a reported legal action filed by the Okuma community in connection with an ongoing investigation, he stated that the DHQ had not received any official court injunction concerning the case.
“If there is a court order, we will act accordingly. But as of today, there is no such order before us. We have legal teams that advise us when the need arises, and we respond appropriately.”
He used the opportunity to reinforce the need for civic vigilance, sharing an anecdote about a senior citizen in foreign land who volunteered to monitor unknown individuals in her community and report them to local authorities.
“National security is not the job of the military alone. Every citizen has a role to play. Reporting something unusual might just prevent a major security incident,” Kangye said.
He assured Nigerians of the commitment of the military to operating within the bounds of the law, in full compliance with the rules of engagement and international humanitarian standards.
“We want to assure Nigerians that the Military and all security agencies observed our Code of Conduct for Internal Security Operations (ISO), Laws of Armed Conflict, and Rules of Engagement (ROE),” he said.
“The military is not afraid of legal processes. We are professionals, and we will continue to act responsibly in all our operations,” he added.
On military operations, he maintained that the gallant troops hadsustained various operations against terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements who posed grave threats to national security, safety and stability with implications on the nation’s socio-economic activities.
He noted that the quarter under review also witnessed the mass surrender of Boko Haram and ISWAP/JAS terrorists due to troops’ superior firepower, with about 682 terrorists and their families surrendering to troops in droves.
The defence media operations helmsman also revealed that troops of Operation Delta Safe in the oil-rich Niger Delta region foiled attempted oil thefts worth over N3.5 billion of stolen litresof DPK and PMS but recovered. He praised the field commanders and their men for their determination and resolve to stop the oil thieves.
