The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has clarified that the Nigerian military has no authority to grant amnesty to surrendered terrorists and bandits, emphasising that such decisions rest solely with other arms of government.
This clarification was made by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen Markus Kangye, during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, following reports that some bandit commanders in Katsina State had surrendered and released hostages in exchange for amnesty.
Kangye stressed that while the surrender of terrorists reflects successes in ongoing kinetic and non-kinetic operations, the military’s mandate does not extend to granting amnesty.
“Amnesty is not within our purview,” he said. “Our duty is to operate within our rules of engagement. If arrests are made during operations, it is for the relevant government agencies to study their cases and determine whether amnesty should be granted.”
Addressing questions on the continued detention of some Okuama community leaders in Delta State despite a reported court order, Director of Defence Information Brig.-Gen Tukur Gusau stated that the military had not received any such injunction.
“The DHQ has not received any court order regarding that matter. If we do, our legal team will advise on the appropriate steps,” he said.
On reports of denied visits to the detained individuals, Gusau clarified, “No formal request for visits has been submitted to the Defence Headquarters. If the proper procedures are followed, we will respond accordingly.”
The arrest of the community leaders followed the 14 March ambush in Okuama that led to the deaths of four officers and 13 soldiers on a peace mission — an incident that drew national outrage.
Highlighting recent achievements, Kangye revealed that troops killed several terrorist kingpins, arrested 1,191 suspects, and rescued 543 kidnapped victims in June alone. Additionally, 682 terrorists and their families surrendered to troops.
Among those eliminated were notorious figures such as Amir Abu Fatimah, Kinging Auta, Abdul Jamilu, Salisu, Mallam Jidda, Maiwada, Mai Dada, and Nwachi Eze (aka Onowu). Kangye also disclosed that bandit kingpin Yellow Danbokkolo succumbed to injuries sustained during a recent clash, which saw many of his lieutenants killed.
Further, he said troops arrested several wanted gunrunners and kidnappers, including Buhari Umar, Hassan Mohammed, Saleh Sani, and Shittu Muazu Bakassi.
In the Niger Delta, under Operation DELTA SAFE, troops foiled oil theft schemes worth over ₦3.5 billion, recovering 2.38 million litres of stolen crude oil, over 600,000 litres of illegally refined diesel, and other petroleum products.
They also dismantled 174 illegal refining sites and seized 45 vehicles used in the illicit trade
