Bandit leader Bello Turji has issued a chilling ultimatum forcing over 5,000 residents from more than a dozen rural communities in Sokoto State to abandon their homes. The directive, confirmed by lawmaker Habibu Halilu Modachi and local residents, came after Turji’s men threatened to kill anyone remaining past Sunday afternoon.
The mass evacuation primarily affected villages in Bafarawa and surrounding areas within Isa Local Government Area near the Niger border. Displaced residents have sought refuge in Isa town, Shinkafi in neighboring Zamfara State, and other safer communities. Reports indicate that the bandits have killed several people, injured many others, and kidnapped others during their violent raids.
Turji’s campaign aims to clear these areas of populations suspected of providing intelligence to the Nigerian military about bandit locations. Witnesses described indiscriminate gunfire and looting of valuables including money and foodstuffs during the attacks. Several villages such as Kamara, Arume, Kagara, Surudubu, and Gebe have also been targeted, causing widespread panic and displacement.
Once a herder, Turji turned to cattle rustling and kidnapping for ransom in 2011. Following military airstrikes on his camps in December 2021, he relocated from Zamfara to Sokoto State, establishing control over three districts where he imposes levies and carries out deadly raids on those who refuse to pay. He is feared by locals who believe he possesses supernatural powers.
Despite multiple peace agreements with Zamfara authorities, Turji has repeatedly reneged and resumed attacks. In January 2025, Nigerian military forces bombed his camps, killing several lieutenants and forcing him underground. However, his influence and threat persist, with renewed attacks causing mass displacement and insecurity in the region.
Local authorities have deployed security personnel to troubled areas, but residents remain skeptical of effective protection. Civil society groups and community leaders are calling for urgent, coordinated government action to halt the violence and bring perpetrators to justice. The ongoing insurgency continues to destabilize northwest Nigeria, leaving thousands displaced and communities vulnerable.
