Bello Turji reportedly massacres 11 farmers in Sokoto

Notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has allegedly killed 11 farmers in Lugu town, Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, took place as Turji and his gang were returning from a Sallah visit.

A resident of Isa, Basharu Altine Giyawa, confirmed the killings, stating that locals had been aware of Turji’s planned visit to the eastern part of Gatawa in Sabon Birni Local Government Area since Saturday.

According to Giyawa, the community alerted security agencies about the movement of the bandit leader, but no effective action was taken.

“Yesterday, Turji and his men left Fakai, his village in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. They passed through several communities in Isa before attending Sallah celebrations. On their way back, they brutally killed 11 farmers,” he said.

He blamed the attack on the failure of security operatives to act on intelligence provided by residents.

Confirming the incident, a local security official, Sani Abubakar, said security personnel had received reports of Turji’s movement but denied that the bandit leader celebrated Sallah in any community under his jurisdiction.

“Yes, we got intelligence about the planned visit to the eastern part of Gatawa and took action. We deployed security measures in Sabon Birni to prevent his entry. This may have been why he directed his anger at innocent farmers in Isa,” he explained.

Another account indicated that Turji had stopped in Tozai village, where he killed the leader of a local vigilante group before continuing his journey.

When contacted, the spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, stated that only the military could confirm the attack, as they were responsible for security operations in the area.

Efforts to get a response from the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful, as the Coordinator of the Joint Media Coordination Centre, Operation Hadarin Daji, Lt Col. Abdullahi, was unavailable as of the time of filing this report.