The military high command disclosed on Thursday that troops have arrested three suspected arms dealers believed to be providing weapons to notorious bandit leader Bello Turji in Zamfara.

The identities of the apprehended individuals were not disclosed, but the military revealed that the arrests took place in Kaduna between November 14 and 17, 2023. Bello Turji, along with 18 others, had been declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters on November 14, 2022, with a N95 million bounty placed on their heads.

Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, disclosed to journalists in Abuja, “Between November 14 and 17, 2023, troops in separate operations arrested three suspected arms dealers (names withheld) in Zango Kataf and Kagarko LGAs of Kaduna State.”

He further explained, “Preliminary investigation revealed that they were on their way to deliver ammunition to Bello Turji, who is a notorious terrorist leader in Zamfara State.”

The recovered items from the suspects included 504 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammo, 100 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammo, three RPG chargers, three mobile phones, one ATM card, and one vehicle.

Bello Turji is considered a highly dangerous bandit kingpin, allegedly responsible for the deaths of over 200 people, including women and children, in January 2022.

The military has been actively pursuing Turji, who has managed to evade multiple air strikes aimed at neutralizing him.