Residents of Sabon Birni Local Government Area in Sokoto State are living in fear after armed men loyal to wanted bandit leader Bello Turji carried out a new series of deadly raids.
Eyewitnesses said the gunmen moved from village to village between Wednesday, August 14, and Friday, August 16, killing villagers, a soldier, and a vigilante while abducting many others.
“They ambushed travellers on the Yankasuwa–Masawa Road on Wednesday and kidnapped everyone in the vehicles. On Thursday, they attacked Garki village and took 16 people. One was later killed, another was freed, and they also stole three cows. On Friday, they stormed Turtsawa and Faru villages and carried away 28 villagers. Many families are still searching for their loved ones,” said one survivor.
A civil society group, the Movement for Social Justice in Sokoto State, confirmed the attacks and called for urgent government action.
“In just four to five days, we recorded several coordinated attacks. We urge the Sokoto State Government to act quickly and use our recommendations to stop the killings by Bello Turji’s boys,” the group said in a statement.
Residents have been praying for the victims and begging security forces to protect their communities from what they called “unrelenting violence.”
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When contacted, police spokesman ASP Ahmed Rufai said he would respond later, but no statement had been issued as of press time. The governor’s security adviser, Col. Ahmed Usman (retd), also did not respond to phone calls.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian military insisted it was still hunting Turji, who has long been accused of leading deadly raids in Sokoto and Zamfara states.
“Bello Turji has not surrendered; we are still on the lookout for him,” said Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations.
Earlier reports had suggested Turji might have accepted an amnesty deal and released some kidnapped victims, but the Defence Headquarters denied this.
For now, tension remains high in Sabon Birni as villagers wait and hope for safety to return to their troubled communities.