A video that allegedly features notorious bandit kingpin Bello Turji has appeared online, with the wanted figure purportedly taking responsibility for recent assaults on security personnel in parts of Sokoto and Zamfara States.
In the footage, a masked man believed to be Turji is seen in the company of armed fighters, where he claimed that his group was behind a series of attacks carried out in retaliation for what he described as actions taken against local communities and their livestock.
Turji claims retaliation against security forces
Speaking in Hausa, the bandit leader alleged that some individuals had attacked communities and taken away their animals.
He said: “Some people who are chasing away our livestock are killing our innocent brothers and sisters, people who have done nothing wrong, in places such as Shinkafi in Zamfara State, Sabon Birni in Sokoto State and other surrounding areas.”
He further claimed: “We killed them. May Allah help us to succeed in defeating them and in recovering our animals from their hands.”
Calls for negotiation with government
Turji said his group would be open to discussions with the government, while warning that they were equally prepared for continued confrontation if force was used against them, Vanguard reported.
He said: “If the government is ready for negotiation, we are also ready for negotiation. But if they want to continue with force, we are prepared. Our fighters are ready for whatever comes,”
The video surfaced just days after an attack along the Isa–Bargaja route in Sokoto State, where suspected terrorists were said to have ambushed security operatives who had responded to a distress call.
According to sources, an explosive device was allegedly deployed during the incident, leading to casualties among security personnel, although authorities have not officially confirmed the figures, Punch reported.
Security agencies are yet to issue an official response to the circulating video, while its authenticity has not been independently verified.
Turji remains listed among Nigeria’s most wanted bandit leaders, with authorities linking him to multiple criminal operations across the North-West region.
