Amid worsening economic situation occasioned by the fuel price increases, the activities of bandits and kidnappers in the recent times are rattling the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government
By Ikenna Princewill
Bello Turji is an identified notorious bandit and kidnapper in the North West region. Alhaji Turji, as he claimed to be known in his videos, also claimed that his notorious gang can boast of more sophisticated attack weapons than what is available to the security forces charged to neutralize his menacing attacks. In one of his boastful videos usually recorded in Hausa Language, the bandit threatened that he would continue to unleash mayhem on the Hausa communities in the region whom he accused of killing his Fulani brethren, and warned that farmers in his captured communities should not go to farm or be killed if they do. “You will not harvest your farms. If you dare to, you will die. No farming this time around “, Turji threatened in one of his videos.
In another video that went viral, the banditry kingpin appeared to be asking for a reconciliation with the Federal Government in order to achieve a reduction in the level of his gang’s deadly operations. Due to the silence of the government, the Arewa Elders Progressive Group had reasoned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was considering a negotiation with the bandit.
Consequently, the group had raised an alarm to deter the Federal Government from such move. Alhaji Mustapha Dutsinma, the North West Chairman of the group had in a statement issued on Thursday, September 6, in Kaduna warned that Turji was merely pretending to be ready for reconciliation considering the number of lives him and his gang had wasted in the past few years of banditry operations in the North West region.
According to the statement, the Arewa Elders said, “We the North Elders are compelled to address a pressing issue that threatens the security and stability of our nation. Recent reports suggest that President Tinubu is considering reconciling with the notorious bandit, Turji and his cohorts.
“We strongly advise against this move, as it will set a dangerous precedent and undermine the government’s efforts to combat banditry”.
As the Turji-Federal Government negotiation failed, the bandit became more emboldened to continue to impose ransom deeds on some communities under his control to assert his authority if the inhabitants of those communities wanted to remain safe in their homes. For example, Turji early September imposed a levy of N50 million on indigenes of Moriki town in Zurimi Local Government Council of Zamfara State as a compensation for his cows allegedly killed by the Commander of a military base stationed in the town.
The notorious bandit vowed to wipe out the indigenes of the town as a pay back to his cows if they failed to pay the ransom.
The community dwellers resorted to self-help by engaging Turji in negotiation which helped to bring the pacification fee to N30 million. Each family was to contribute the sum of N10,000, while single adults would contribute N2,000 apiece to make up the N30 million. It was learnt that the money was a compensation for the killing Turji’s cows by the new Commander of the Army Base stationed in the community.
Turji, has also tackled a prominent Nigerian human rights advocate and expert in violent extremism in Sub-Saharan Africa, Bulama Bukarti, over his criticisms against the imposition of N30 million ransom on Moriki community of Zamfara State by the terrorist.
Mr Bukarti, during a live discussion programme Fashin Baki, disclosed that Mr Turji imposed the fine due toalleged killing of his cattle by the Nigerian Army.
Mr Bukarti, who is a vice president at Bridgeway Foundation, confirmed that each family head was required to contribute N10,000, while unmarried adults N2,000.
“The people of Moriki Town of Zamfara State have managed to convince Bello Turji to reduce the ransom he imposed on them from N50 million to N30 million, with a Wednesday deadline for payment. This sum is supposedly a compensation for the killing of Turji’s cows by the new commandant of the army base stationed in Moriki.
“Each family head is required to contribute N10,000, while unmarried adults must pay N2,000.
“Despite the commandant’s advice not to pay and his promise never to harm Turji’s animals again, the people remain doubtful.
“They fear that if they fail to meet this extortion demand, Turji will unleash violence upon them, with no one to protect them from his brutality.
“Currently, around 15 local politicians and social activists are in Turji’s captivity, and they were abducted from within Moriki despite the presence of soldiers.
“This is the grim reality Nigeria has been reduced to,” Mr Bukarti wrote on his X handle.
Responding to the analyst, Mr Turji, in a fresh video released Wednesday, justified the imposition of the fine.
According to the terrorist, the ransom was imposed in protest against the injustice meted out on his tribe by the Nigerian troops.
Mr Turji said: “This video is to reiterate our position. I know it might be okay for some people while some would feel otherwise.
“It is on this note that I am appealing to those who are angry to be patient with us because no man can change what God has ordained.
“I saw Bulama Bukarti saying Bello Turji has imposed tax on the people of Moriki. No doubt, what he said is correct. Everything he said is true.
“However, I disagree with one thing he said. He said I imposed the tax because my cattle were killed. That’s not true.
“I will urge (Bulama) to reach out to my people and hear their side of the story before passing judgement.
“You can’t pass judgement based on a single narrative…” he said.
Survivors of the Boko Haram massacre of worshippers in a mosque in Mafa village of Tarmuwa Local Government Council of Yobe State are still writhing in pain as they relive their close shave with death. They insisted that their escape from the deadly attack was only an act of God. Sunday, September 1, 2024, will remain an unforgettable experience in the life of Mafa village, a village near Shekau which is the ancestral home of the founder and foremost leader of Boko Haram, Sheikh Abubakar Shekau who was murdered in hazy circumference allegedly by security forces.
At about 4pm on the fateful day when Islamic worshippers were about to conclude their prayers, the daredevil members of the terror group invaded the mosque and opened fire on the worshippers after they had first separated the elderly and Fulani herdsmen among them. It was gathered that the insurgents were on a revenge mission against Mafa indigens and vigilante group for allegedly conniving with security forces to raid their hideout which resulted in the killing of a Commander of the Boko Haram who had been terrorizing Mafa and its surrounding villages.
It was gathered that at the end of the Boko Haram attack, over 100 worshippers were murdered in cold blood. President Tinubu had since commiserated with the state over the incident.
No less than two nurses and an unspecified number of patients were kidnapped at a Primary Health Care Center located in Kuyallo, Birnin-Gwari Local Government Council of Kaduna State on Monday September 9, 2024 when a group of bandits invaded the hospital. According to local vigilantes, the bandits’ target was the Government Day Secondary School in the Council area to abduct students. But they had to divert to the medical facility when they discovered that no students were in the school. Earlier on September 5, 2024, bandits had also attacked Mani community which is located near the Indomie Noodles factory in the Rido Ward of Chikun Local Government of Kaduna State where they abducted 19 people including mostly women and children.
It appears no one is spared in the gory attacks orchestrated by armed criminals in the face of the biting economic hardship in the country. However, the military authorities appear to have risen to the huge security challenges confronting the country. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Christopher Musa has assured troops of Nigerian Army would soon capture, dead or alive, some of the notorious criminals troubling the country, including Turji. At a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, September 10, the CDS assured that the armed forces and other security agencies would collaborate to address insecurity and restore normalcy across the country. He said, “On the issue of Turji, like I said, he is just a deranged individual who feels power, but I can bet you that it is just a matter of time, we are going to get him, and I can assure you that within the shortest possible time, we are going to address that issue”.
