Nigerian troops kill 37 in raid on a wedding at bandits’ hideout

Abuja

Nigerian banditry kingpin Muhammad Bello, aka Turji, escaped with severe injuries when Nigeria Air Force (NAF) fighter jets attacked and killed 37 of his men and injured several others who gathered for a wedding ceremony in their hideout on Saturday.

Turji, the 28-year-old ruthless bandit leader who operates in North West Sokoto and Zamfara states, was presiding over the wedding in the hideout in Fakai forest in Zamfara state.

The ‘surprise attack’ by the military was carried out by two NAF fighter jets upon receiving credible intelligence reports on the gathering of the bandits for the wedding ceremony.

According to a defence intelligence source, the NAF jets rained their missiles on Fakai area, believed to be the residence of the dreaded Turji, as part of the military counter-offensive operation currently going on.

The bandits’ leader was said to be in one of his enclaves in Fakai forest in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara during the attack.

Conflicting reports

Unconfirmed reports said that Turji was among those killed but another report said he narrowly escaped with severe injuries.

Turji believes that the Fulani people are being subjected to genocide in Nigeria, and has justified his actions as being reprisals against attacks on Fulani bandits and civilians.

He is a close friend of Islamic scholar Ahmad Abubakar Gumi and claims to be a practicing Muslim, enforcing some elements of Sharia law on the towns he controls.

Turji has "strongly denied" relations to Boko Haram and other jihadist groups, insisting that his goals are unrelated to religion.  This is despite evidence to the contrary.

Gang attacks

He controls a large gang and has been leading attacks in Zamfara and some other parts of the North West region.

Zamfara is one of the areas worst hit by the violence unleashed by armed gangs. 

Worried by the rise in attacks despite efforts to put the situation under control, Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara had asked residents to take up arms and defend themselves.

He had also raised community protection guards, whom he empowered with over 7,000 guns but the attacks continued.

The military, in a statement late on Saturday, confirmed the ongoing onslaught to ensure that insecurity is minimised before the February 2023 general election.

Stepped up offensive

The military has stepped up its offensive against bandits and insurgents in recent weeks, taking out non-state actors wreaking havoc across the country.

The military had decided to deploy fighter jets to assist ground troops in the battle against bandits in Niger, Kaduna and Zamfara states.

According to Abuja-based think-tank, the Centre for Democracy and Development, at least 12,000 people have been killed by bandits since 2011 across the north western states of Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.