A Chieftain of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Zamfara state, Sani Shinkafi has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently address the escalating security threat posed by the notorious bandit leader Bello Turji.
In a statement to journalists in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State, Shinkafi expressed deep concern over Turji’s recent threats to turn towns and villages in both Sokoto and Zamfara states into “ghost communities” unless his demands are met.
The alarm was raised after Turji released a video in which he boldly challenged security agencies to free his ally, Bako Wurgi, who was recently captured by security forces at Shinkafi General Hospital. Wurgi had reportedly sustained injuries during clashes with rival bandit groups in the Mania area and was taken to the hospital, where he was arrested by the troops of Operation Fansan Yamma.
In the 5-minute video, Turji warned that he would make towns and villages in Shinkafi Zurmi (Zamfara State) and Isa (Sokoto State) uninhabitable if his demands were ignored. Reacting to the threat, Shinkafi called for immediate and decisive action from President Tinubu.
The former Chairman of Zamfara’s Committee on Banditry Related Offences emphasized the need for a swift, coordinated response to neutralize the growing security threat posed by Turji and his gang. He urged both the governments of Sokoto and Zamfara to collaborate with the federal government and formulate an effective strategy to tackle the menace.
Shinkafi also appealed to security agencies to take Turji’s threats seriously, warning that failure to act promptly could have catastrophic consequences for local communities. He stressed the importance of deploying additional security forces to the ungoverned spaces in the region, urging agencies to act decisively before Turji can carry out his threats.
“Now is the time for security agencies in Zamfara to take immediate action and prepare to confront this criminal head-on,” Shinkafi asserted. “We cannot afford to wait until an attack occurs. Security agencies must deploy more personnel to vulnerable areas and stop Turji’s reign of terror.”
Turji has long been a central figure in the ongoing banditry crisis plaguing the Northwestern region of Nigeria. His group has been responsible for numerous attacks, kidnappings, and the displacement of residents. With his latest threats, anxiety has risen among local communities in the affected areas, with residents calling for heightened security measures to protect their homes.
