Granting Bandits, Terrorists Amnesty Not Our Mandate — DHQ

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has clarified that offering amnesty to surrendered bandits and terrorists was not within the mandate of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye made the clarification at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday while providing updates on military operations in the last three months between April to June 2025.

Recently, reports emerged about bandit commanders surrendering and releasing hostages in exchange for amnesty in Katsina State.

The military high command clarified that while the development reflects the success of both kinetic and non-kinetic operations, offering amnesty to bandits is not within the military’s mandate .

“Amnesty is not what we do. We are to do our job according to our rules of engagement, according to our operational directives. And if, from the operation conducted, people are arrested and handed over, 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 that merit, the agencies of government responsible for giving amnesty will do that. It is not for the military to determine whether to give amnesty or not. That is not part of our operation,” General Kangye said.

Responding to a question on why the military had refused to release detained leaders of Okuoma community, despite a court order, the Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen Tukur Gusau, who was also present at the press briefing, explained that the military had not received the court order in question, despite reports of its issuance.

LEADERSHIP recall that on March 14, four officers and 13 soldiers were killed in an ambush in Okuama, a community in Ughelli South local government area, Delta State, during a peace mission by the military personnel.

The killings attracted wide condemnation by Nigerians as the military thereafter stormed the community and arrested alleged perpetrators of the heinous act.

“The DHQ has not received any court injunction in respect of that,” Gusau said.

“If we get it, we have our legal team, which will advise us on the next step to take. But for now, we don’t have such a court injunction being served to us.”

When asked why the military would not allow community members to visit the detained leaders, the defence spokesman replied that no such request had been made to the military.

“There was no request forwarded to the Defence Headquarters on that,” Gusau said.

“Maybe, perhaps the request is only on the pages of newspapers. There is a procedure for everything, if they follow the procedure we will respond appropriately, ” he added.