NIGERIA: Granting Amnesty Not Within Military’s Mandate, Says Defence Headquarters

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria

The Defence Headquarters has stated that the Nigerian military is not responsible for granting amnesty to terrorists and bandits who surrender during operations.

This clarification was made by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, during a press briefing held in Abuja on Thursday. He explained that the decision to offer amnesty lies with relevant civil authorities and not with the armed forces.

He said: ” Amnesty is not what we do. We are to do our job according to our rules of engagement and operational directives. If from the operation conducted, people are arrested and an amnesty is to be given to them, it’s not the military that determines that. Their cases will be studied, and based on merit, the relevant government agencies responsible for amnesty will act.”

The briefing follows reports that some bandit leaders in Katsina State had surrendered and released hostages in exchange for amnesty. Kangye noted that while such developments may reflect progress in ongoing military operations, the military’s role is limited to enforcement and security efforts.

Also speaking at the briefing, the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, responded to inquiries about the continued detention of some leaders of the Okuama community in Delta State. Their arrest followed the March 14 ambush that resulted in the deaths of four officers and 13 soldiers during a peace mission.

Gusau said the military had not received any court order mandating their release.

He stated: “The Defence Headquarters has not received any court injunction in respect of that. If we get it, we have our legal team which will advise us on the next step to take.”

On the denial of visit requests to the detainees, Gusau said, “There was no request forwarded to the Defence Headquarters on that. Maybe the request is only on the pages of newspapers. There is a procedure for everything; if they follow the procedure, we will respond appropriately.”

Major General Kangye further reported that the military recorded significant operational successes in June.

According to him, troops neutralised several terrorist commanders, arrested 1,191 suspects, and rescued 543 kidnapped victims. He added that 682 terrorists and their families surrendered to troops.

Among those reportedly neutralised were Amir Abu Fatimah, Kinging Auta, Abdul Jamilu, Mallam Jidda, Maiwada, Mai Dada, and Nwachi Eze, also known as Onowu. Kangye also disclosed that notorious bandit leader Yellow Danbokkolo died from injuries sustained during a recent encounter with troops.

Additionally, several suspected gunrunners and kidnappers, including Buhari Umar, Hassan Mohammed, Saleh Sani, and Shittu Muazu Bakassi, were arrested.

In the Niger Delta region, Kangye said troops under Operation DELTA SAFE disrupted illegal oil activities valued at over ₦3.5 billion. The troops recovered 2,381,239 litres of stolen crude oil, 605,393 litres of illegally refined automotive gas oil, 41,465 litres of kerosene, and 26,905 litres of premium motor spirit. A total of 174 illegal refining sites were discovered and dismantled, and 45 vehicles were seized.

The Defence Headquarters reaffirmed the military’s commitment to national security and noted that it will continue to carry out its duties in line with established rules of engagement.