Bandit Leader, Bello Turji Attacks Again, Destroys 20 Villages and Kidnaps Many in Sokoto”
Feared bandit leader Bello Turji has reportedly returned to the scene, orchestrating a wave of violent attacks across Sokoto State that left at least 20 villages devastated and scores of residents kidnapped.
The coordinated assaults, which occurred from late Sunday night into the early hours of Monday, targeted communities in Sabon Birni Local Government Area. Homes were burned, families displaced, and dozens taken hostage in what locals described as a night of chaos and terror.
Security commentator Dan Katsina shared the disturbing update on X (formerly Twitter), along with a video showing crowds of displaced villagers fleeing for safety. Among the villages affected were Makira, Shabanza, Katsalle, Dan Kura, Garin Tunkiya, Dama, the Dan Tazako cluster (I, II, and III), Gaugai, and others.
“Most of the displaced residents have now sought refuge in Gatawa, one of the few relatively safer towns in Sabon Birni,” Katsina reported.
Mallam Saminu, a resident reached by phone, confirmed the mass exodus. He said the renewed attacks were prompted by threats from a key figure in Turji’s network.
“Yes, people have fled en masse. Many are staying with relatives here in Gatawa, while others are temporarily housed in two local secondary schools—one near the military outpost and another within town,” he said.
The latest assault has once again highlighted the deepening security crisis in eastern Sokoto, a region repeatedly targeted despite ongoing military campaigns to suppress bandit activity.
Attempts to get an official reaction from the state government proved unsuccessful. The Governor’s Special Adviser on Security, Col. Ahmed Usman (rtd), was unavailable for comment. Police spokesperson Ahmed Rufai noted he would issue a statement once full details were gathered.
