A Sokoto State lawmaker, Aminu Boza, has confirmed that bandit kingpin Bello Turji is currently active in a forested area within the Isa Local Government Area.
Boza, who represents Sabon Birni Local Government in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, revealed in a phone conversation on Friday that Turji has been extorting money from local communities, imposing a significant ₦25 million levy on villages.
The lawmaker shared that Turji’s activities are concentrated in the Isa and Sabon Birni regions of Sokoto, where he has reportedly demanded substantial sums from villagers. “Bello Turji is currently operating in the Isa and Sabon Birni areas, and has imposed a ₦25 million levy on some villages,” Boza stated.
In light of these developments, Boza called on security forces and local authorities to ramp up efforts to combat the rising influence of bandits in the region.
In a related breakthrough, Sokoto State security forces have arrested a prominent arms trafficker, Hamza Samaila Surudubu, who has been implicated in supplying weapons to terrorist groups in the region.
The arrest, confirmed by Colonel Ahmed Usman (retd.), Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, occurred on February 20, 2025, along Shinkafi Road.
Usman, in a text message to our correspondent, reported, “Hamza Samaila Surudubu, a 35-year-old suspected ammunition courier, was apprehended by the Sokoto State Community Guard Corps (SSCGC), Isa Division, with support from the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF).”
Initial investigations suggest that Surudubu was en route to deliver arms and ammunition to notorious figures such as Turji, Boka, and Halilu Buzu. The case has since been transferred to relevant security agencies for further investigation.
