Bello Turji kills 11 farmers after Eid celebration in Sokoto

Notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, has reportedly killed 11 farmers in Fadamar Lugu town, Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

According to reports, the attack occurred in the early hours of Wednesday as Turji and his men were returning from Eid celebration.

A resident of Isa community who confirmed the killings, stated that locals had been aware of Turji’s planned visit to the eastern part of Gatawa in Sabon Birni Local Government Area since Saturday.

He said the community had alerted security agencies about the movement of the bandit leader but received no effective response.

“Yesterday, Turji and his men left Fakai, his village in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

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“They passed through several communities in Isa before attending their Sallah celebrations. On their way back, they brutally killed 11 farmers,” the resident said.

He blamed the attack on the failure of security operatives to act on intelligence provided by residents.

Also, a local security official confirmed the incident, stating that security personnel had received reports of Turji’s movement but denied that he celebrated Sallah in any community under his jurisdiction.

“Yes, we got intelligence about the planned visit to the eastern part of Gatawa and took action. 

“We deployed security measures in Sabon Birni to prevent his entry. This may have been why he directed his anger at innocent farmers in Isa,” he said.

Another account revealed that Turji had stopped in Tozai village, where he killed the leader of a local vigilante group before continuing his journey.

When contacted, the spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, said only the military could confirm the attack, as they were responsible for security operations in the area.

Efforts to get a response from the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful, as the Coordinator of the Joint Media Coordination Centre, Operation Hadarin Daji, Lt Col. Abdullahi, could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.