Leadnaija
If the ultimatum issued by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt General Olufemi Oluyede, to the troops of the Joint Task Force, Operations Fansan Yamma, is met the notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, would be in the custody of the Nigerian military in about a fortnight. Oluyede had on Thursday, February 20, 2025, given the troops 30 days within which to produce Turji dead or alive.
“I don’t want to hear about Turji’s incessant attacks, especially in Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi where he used to unleash attacks on innocent people. I give you 30 days to get Turji and his lieutenants wherever they are hiding,” he ordered.
Addressing the troops at the 1 Brigade Headquarters, Gusau, the Zamfara state capital, the army chief said the directive was necessary, considering the escalation of banditry by Turji in Zamfara, Sokoto and some parts of Kebbi states.
He assured that adequate logistics and support will be provided for the troops to enable them to fight banditry and other forms of terrorism in the North-west.
The COAS noted that the wanted terrorist has been on the run and should keep running. “Bello Turji is on the run as we speak and for everywhere he goes, we follow him there. Let him keep running, it is just a matter of time, he would be removed from the space”.
Oluyede reeled out the achievements of the Nigerian Army in the zone, saying troops have killed several bandit leaders in the last few months. He disclosed that troops are working hard to improve the security situation as well as secure lives and properties.
“We are pursuing them and we intend to continue with that. It is the same thing with the fight against the bandits. In the last few months, we have killed prominent bandit leaders like Samaila, Boga, and the likes of Boderi. All those ones are dead. We are still pursuing them and to see how we can make the entire North-west very safe,” Oluyede said.
The army chief admitted that there were some challenges the troops faced in the theatre of operation. He, however, expressed optimism that they would surmount them. Oluyede called on Nigerians to cooperate with the army and other security agencies by availing troops of timely information.
The visit by the COAS, the first since his appointment on October 30, 2024, comes at a time when troops are battling banditry and other security threats in the North-west zone. Operation Fasan Yamma plays a crucial role in the Nigerian Army’s ongoing efforts to restore peace and stability in the North-west, a zone grappling with rising cases of banditry, kidnapping, and other security challenges.
Troops had reportedly killed Turji’s son and other family members and high-ranking lieutenants, in a January 19 crackdown on his Zamfara enclave. The troops also destroyed Turji’s armoury during the operation. Among the enclaves targeted were Zangon Dan Gwandi, Zangon Tsaika, Zangon Kagara, and a school reportedly used by Turji to store foodstuff and weapons.
Aminu Kanawa, the second-in-command to Bello Turji, was also killed while severe injuries were inflicted on Dosso, Turji’s younger brother, Danbokolo, one of his closest allies, and many other commanders. Several of Turji’s key commanders, namely, Abu Dan Shehu, Jabbi Dogo, Dan Kane, Basiru Yellow, Kabiru Gebe, Bello Buba, and Dan Inna Kahon-Saniya-Yafi-Bahaushe, among others, were neutralised.
Over 24 fleeing terrorists from Turji’s camp around Gebe and Isa local government areas in Sokoto state, as well as Gidan Rijiya in Shinkafi local government areas in Zamfara state were killed during the crackdown.
It is noteworthy that the death of Turji’s second-in-command, close allies, commanders, and combatants is a significant blow to the terrorist network in the North-west as well as their military and fighting capabilities.
Unfortunately, rather than abate, banditry has not only been on the rise but also assuming frightening dimensions with scores of innocent people being killed and communities wiped out on a daily basis in the North-west.
Although the military’s achievements in its onslaught on the bandits terrorising the North-western Nigeria, particularly Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger states, are commendable, they tend to pale into insignificance given the free reign of Turji.
It is on the backdrop of this sordid state of affairs that Blueprint views the ultimatum by the army chief as imperative. The military’s acclaimed breakthrough in the war against banditry in the North-west zone can only make sense and be celebrated by Nigerians when Turji is captured ”dead or alive”.
The task of eliminating or apprehending the dreaded and seemingly invincible Turji has been made easy by the President Donald Trump administration’s suspension of aids funding of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which is being accused of sponsoring terrorist organisations around the world, including the Boko Haram in Nigeria.
