The Nigerian Defence Headquarters, DHQ, on Monday reacted to videos of bandit leader, Bello Turji and his gangs seizing two Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, MRAPs, during an operation.
The Director of Defence Media Operations Maj-Gen Edward Buba, said the two MRAPs were demobilized due to the inability of troops to use them after they got stuck in swampy terrain during operations against bandits in Zamfara State.
Over the weekend, videos had emerged of Turji and his gangs taking over some MRAPs while burning down another.
In the footage, the bandits had boasted of taking over the Army vehicles as part of Jihad.
However, Buba insisted that the troops demobilized the MRAPs while accusing the bandits of attempting to take advantage of the situation to mislead the public.
Buba said the MRAPs were demobilized to prevent the bandits from using them.
