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Bello Turji Boasts of Killing Soldiers as Army Confirms Sokoto Weapons Camp

Published

3 months ago

June 21, 2026

Trends Admin

Notorious bandit leader Bello Turji

Bello Turji Boasts of Killing Soldiers as Army Confirms Sokoto Weapons Camp

Security tensions escalate across eastern Sokoto following deadly IED attack, with intelligence reports indicating Turji’s fighters are conducting military-style drills with newly acquired weapons

SOKOTO, Nigeria — Notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has surfaced in a video claiming victory over security personnel following a deadly incident involving troops in Sokoto State. The development comes after an improvised explosive device (IED) reportedly detonated on a military vehicle conveying soldiers to the Bargaja community in Isa Local Government Area, killing at least two personnel and injuring several others.

The soldiers were said to be heading to the community in response to a distress call after bandits attacked the area in the early hours of Saturday. Residents said armed men stormed the village between 12:30 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., firing gunshots and forcing residents to seek assistance from security operatives. One resident, who requested anonymity, alleged that the attackers planted the explosive device along the Isa-Bargaja road before the troops arrived.

In the video released after the incident, Turji expressed satisfaction over the reported deaths of some of those he described as his enemies. “We thank Allah for allowing us to witness this Saturday, June 20. After thanking Allah, in this country of ours, Nigeria, especially in some areas where we have been facing constant challenges,” he said. “God willing, Allah has granted us victory over those who have been rustling our livestock and killing our innocent brothers in some local government areas including Isa, Zamfara, Sokoto State, Sabon Birni and other local government areas around. Allah granted us victory over these people carrying out operations against us and taking away our livestock. We have succeeded in killing some of them, and we have successfully recovered our livestock from their hands.”

The claims made in the video and related social media posts could not be independently verified at the time of filing this report.

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Meanwhile, concerns over security in the region have intensified following allegations that Turji is expanding his operational capacity and acquiring additional weapons. The concerns were raised by Basharu Altine Guyawa Isa, Sokoto State Coordinator of the Movement for Social Justice and Good Governance, who made the claims in a Facebook post and subsequent video.

According to Basharu, fighters loyal to Turji, including Illa Manawa and Bomi, believed to be Turji’s younger brother, recently gathered in communities stretching from Bingabale Kudu through Bafarawa East to Bargaja along the Sokoto-Zamfara border. He alleged that the group was conducting military-style drills and weapons training with newly acquired arms, some of which were reportedly used during recent clashes with security personnel operating in the area.

Basharu further claimed that intelligence reports suggested the weapons were part of a recent shipment obtained by the group. The activist also alleged that fighters with suspected links to Boko Haram had moved into the area to provide training and strengthen Turji’s ranks with advanced combat skills. He said the activities were taking place in communities located along the border between Sokoto and Zamfara states.

In addition, Basharu claimed that information from sources in Binchi indicated that a night-vision device allegedly purchased by Turji formed part of the equipment recently delivered to his camp. He also linked the acquisition and movement of the weapons to Kachalla Haru Dole and Kachalla Ibrahim Chimo, whom he described as commanders operating major bandit camps beyond the Maradun River. According to him, both men played key roles in facilitating the delivery of the weapons to Turji’s network.

The activist further alleged that emerging intelligence pointed to a growing alliance between Chimo and Turji, which he said could be aimed at expanding their influence across eastern parts of Sokoto State. He warned that the alleged collaboration might be part of preparations for coordinated attacks on the headquarters of five local government areas before the height of the rainy season.

Significantly, the Nigerian Army has confirmed that it is aware of the intelligence reports regarding weapons training and tactical drills allegedly being conducted by Turji and his loyalists in parts of Isa Local Government Area . The Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Lt. Col. Osoba Olaniyi, assured that the military is actively assessing the situation and implementing appropriate security measures . Security sources further alleged that the exercises involve armed fighters loyal to Turji, including close associates such as Illa Manawa and Dodo, reportedly his younger brother . Preliminary assessments suggest the weapons may form part of a recent supply delivered to the group, raising concerns over an increase in firepower among armed gangs operating in the region .

The alleged drills are reportedly taking place in remote border communities linking Sokoto and Zamfara States, an area that has remained difficult to secure despite ongoing military operations under the campaign known as Operation Fansan Yamma . Investigators have further linked suspected commanders such as Kachalla Haru Dole and Kachalla Ibrahim Chimo to arms movement and coordination across the region .

Hours after making the allegations, Basharu shared another video on Facebook which he claimed showed some of the newly acquired weapons in Turji’s possession. In an accompanying post, he alleged that the footage was released by Turji on June 20, 2026, and displayed some of the weapons referenced in his earlier claims. He also alleged that Turji used the recording to showcase what he described as successful operations against security personnel along the Isa-Bargaja corridor.

Efforts to obtain official reactions from the Sokoto State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls, text messages, and WhatsApp messages sent to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufai, were not answered as of the time this report was filed.

The continued violence has taken a heavy toll on rural communities across the North-west, where residents have repeatedly abandoned their farms because of attacks, kidnappings, and demands for protection levies by armed groups. The renewed insecurity comes at a critical period in the farming season, raising concerns among residents and humanitarian organisations about food production and livelihoods in areas already affected by years of conflict.

Bello Turji Boasts of Killing Soldiers as Army Confirms Sokoto Weapons Camp

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Atiku Offers Scholarship to Viral Niger Teen Miner After 37 Miners’ Deaths

Published

2 hours ago

September 20, 2026

Trends Admin

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar

Atiku Offers Scholarship to Viral Niger Teen Miner After 37 Miners’ Deaths

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has offered a scholarship to Yusuf Aliyu, the teenage artisanal miner from Niger State whose account of conditions at a gold-mining site went viral following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the state.

Atiku made the scholarship offer after a video of the teenager speaking about his experience at the mining site attracted widespread attention.

The offer means Atiku intends to provide the teenager with financial support for his education, although specific details such as the level of education covered, the duration of the scholarship and the institution where Yusuf would study were not immediately disclosed.

Atiku said the teenager should have the opportunity to pursue his education rather than remain dependent on mining to support himself and his family.

The teenager reportedly said that young people at the mining site engaged in the activity because of poverty and the need to support their families and pay school fees.

Yusuf also alleged that personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had been shooting at miners at the site. He questioned the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the detained miners and disputed the initial explanation that the fatalities were linked to a disease outbreak.

The allegations made by the teenager have not been independently established and remain subject to investigation.

The teenager’s comments came after 37 suspected illegal miners died while in NSCDC custody in Niger State.

The victims were among people arrested during anti-illegal-mining operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state on September 15 and 16.

The Niger State NSCDC Command initially said the detainees died following a suspected disease outbreak. However, accounts from survivors and families have raised questions about the conditions under which the detainees were held.

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Reports have cited allegations of overcrowding, inadequate ventilation and difficult conditions inside the detention facility, while the actual cause of the deaths remains a matter for investigation.

The Federal Government has since ordered an independent investigation into the incident.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed that the circumstances surrounding the deaths be thoroughly investigated, while Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo constituted a 10-member independent committee to examine the incident.

The government also suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and 20 other NSCDC officers pending the outcome of the investigation. The committee was given two weeks to complete its work and submit its report.

The panel includes representatives of the Niger State Government and Minna Emirate Council, as well as a representative of the Miners Association of Nigeria, lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju, former Assistant Inspector-General of Police Hosea Hassan Karma and other members.

The deaths have generated public concern over the treatment of people arrested during illegal mining enforcement operations, particularly following reports that some of those detained were teenagers.

The controversy has also renewed attention on the difficult circumstances surrounding artisanal mining in Niger State, where some young people reportedly enter mining because of limited economic opportunities and the need to support their families.

Atiku, while announcing the scholarship, also questioned the continued poverty in communities with significant mineral deposits.

He called for greater attention to the welfare and education of children involved in mining and raised questions about the Federal Government’s handling of artisanal mining.

The former vice president also referred to the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI) introduced under the Muhammadu Buhari administration and questioned what had become of the programme in Niger State.

His comments represent his political position on the incident and the Federal Government’s handling of artisanal mining. The independent committee is expected to establish the facts surrounding the deaths and determine whether any official or other person should be held responsible.

Meanwhile, Yusuf’s story has drawn attention to the wider challenge of keeping children out of hazardous work and ensuring access to education for vulnerable children in mining communities.

Atiku’s scholarship offer is specifically intended to help Yusuf continue his education and pursue opportunities outside artisanal mining. Details of how the scholarship will be administered have not been publicly provided.

The allegations against the NSCDC personnel and other claims surrounding the deaths remain under investigation.

Atiku Offers Scholarship to Viral Niger Teen Miner After 37 Miners’ Deaths

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NDLEA Seizes N3.4bn Drugs, Arrests Fake Police Officer in Nationwide Crackdown

Published

2 hours ago

September 20, 2026

Trends Admin

NDLEA Seizes N3.4bn Drugs, Arrests Fake Police Officer in Nationwide Crackdown

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, alongside about 6,000kg of cannabis, in a series of operations across several states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The agency said the seizures had an estimated street value of more than N3.4 billion, while its operatives also arrested a man accused of impersonating a senior police officer while allegedly transporting illicit drugs.

The operations were conducted in Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe and Imo states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, according to a statement issued by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

One of the biggest seizures occurred at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, where NDLEA operatives intercepted 603.75kg of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.

The consignment, according to the agency, was valued at about N1.811 billion.

The 40-foot container carrying the drugs reportedly originated from Montreal, Canada, and arrived in Nigeria on September 12.

Following intelligence received by the NDLEA, the container was placed under surveillance before a joint examination by NDLEA personnel, the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies on September 16.

The Canadian Loud was allegedly concealed in 31 black jumbo bags loaded into two Toyota Sienna vehicles inside the container.

In Delta State, NDLEA operatives arrested 49-year-old Innocent Ekpe along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba on September 16.

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The agency said Ekpe was found with 292.48kg of skunk, allegedly concealed inside a silver Toyota Sienna bus.

According to the NDLEA, preliminary investigation indicated that Ekpe allegedly presented himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and used a forged police identification card to evade security checks while transporting illicit drugs.

A 39-year-old alleged accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai at an auto-repair workshop along Agbor Road in Benin City.

The agency alleged that the workshop was being used as a cover for storing illicit drugs.

Officers recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud, 152 grammes of methamphetamine and a metal box allegedly used to store the substances.

Another major seizure was recorded in Niger State, where NDLEA operatives intercepted more than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, in addition to codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets.

The drugs were allegedly concealed in eight sacks being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mararaba, Nasarawa State.

Two suspects, Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, were arrested along the Abaji-Abuja Highway on September 18 in connection with the consignment.

The agency also reported an earlier interception on September 15 along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi, Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State.

Three suspects — Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18 — were arrested during the operation.

The NDLEA said officers recovered two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol and magazine, and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Onyeka Ofor at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, on September 18 and recovered 48,900 tablets of tramadol 225mg.

The agency also intercepted seven cartons of cannabis weighing 59kg at a logistics company, leading to the arrest of a suspect identified as Luke Ugokwe.

Another suspect, Ibrahim Hudu, 43, was arrested at Apongbon, where NDLEA officers recovered 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.

In Gombe State, operatives recovered 154,480 capsules of tramadol from two suspects identified as 27-year-old Sabi’u Umar and 19-year-old Hassana Muhammad.

NDLEA personnel in Imo State also arrested 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin along the Owerri-Onitsha Road with 43.85kg of skunk, according to the agency.

Meanwhile, four suspects — Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday — were arrested during an operation targeting a cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest, Ondo State.

The NDLEA said about 5,000kg of cannabis was destroyed on the two-hectare farm, while 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered as exhibits.

The agency said the latest operations demonstrate its continued efforts to disrupt the production, trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs across Nigeria.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain intelligence-led enforcement activities.

The suspects remain under investigation, and the allegations against them have not been established by a court.

NDLEA Seizes N3.4bn Drugs, Arrests Fake Police Officer in Nationwide Crackdown

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Oyo: Police Arrest Serving Air Force Personnel Over Alleged Robbery, Abduction

Published

3 hours ago

September 20, 2026

Trends Admin

The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Abimbola Olugbenga.

Oyo: Police Arrest Serving Air Force Personnel Over Alleged Robbery, Abduction

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a serving Nigerian Air Force personnel over an alleged armed robbery and abduction in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The arrest was made on September 17, 2026, as police operatives investigated the reported incident, according to the Force’s latest operational update.

A blue Toyota Camry allegedly used during the operation was also recovered by the police and taken as an exhibit.

The police did not disclose the identity, rank or unit of the Air Force personnel, nor did they provide details about the alleged victim or explain the circumstances under which the robbery and abduction occurred.

The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Ibadan, for further investigation.

The arrest was among several security operations recorded by the police in Oyo State and other parts of the country between September 17 and 20.

In a separate development in Oyo State, police operatives arrested three suspected members and associates of a kidnapping syndicate.

One of the suspects was arrested on September 18 at Kanbi Village in Atisbo Local Government Area following what the police described as credible intelligence.

Two other suspects were also arrested for allegedly concealing or facilitating the activities of the kidnapping group.

The police said the investigation into the three suspects was also being handled by the SCID in Ibadan.

The two Oyo cases are separate in the police operational summary, and there was no indication that the Air Force personnel arrested over the alleged robbery and abduction was among the three suspects linked to the kidnapping syndicate.

The latest arrests form part of wider police operations targeting kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, sexual offences and other criminal activities across several states.

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The Force reported arrests and recoveries in Oyo, Kogi, Kano, Delta, Cross River, Nasarawa, Gombe and Bayelsa states during the period under review.

In Kogi State, police detectives arrested a suspect following a fatal shooting at Ohunene Community in Ajaokuta Local Government Area and recovered a barrel gun allegedly linked to the incident. Another suspect was arrested in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area, following a reported missing-person case.

In Kano State, a female suspect was arrested in connection with the death of her husband at Katsalle Quarters in Rogo Local Government Area.

Delta State police reported separate arrests involving alleged sexual offences, including cases involving minors. Officers also arrested three suspects during a raid on a suspected criminal black spot at Umusadege, Kwale, in Ndokwa West Local Government Area, where the suspects were allegedly linked to drug trafficking and cult-related activities.

In Cross River State, police operatives tracked and arrested a suspect following the circulation of a video allegedly showing a cult-related firearm discharge in Calabar.

In Nasarawa State, police recovered a white Toyota Camry allegedly involved in a fatal road traffic incident at Gudi, Akwanga Local Government Area.

Gombe State police also recovered a blood-stained machete from the scene of a suspected culpable homicide at Duggari Hills in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area.

In Bayelsa State, a murder suspect was moved to the SCID in Yenagoa for protective custody following unrest at Ebedebiri, Sagbama Local Government Area. Tactical teams were subsequently deployed to the community to restore law and order.

For the Oyo State Air Force personnel, the police investigation remains ongoing. The recovered Toyota Camry is being treated as an exhibit while detectives work to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged robbery and abduction.

Similarly, the three suspects arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping syndicate remain under investigation.

The allegations against all the suspects have not been established by a court, and the investigations are expected to determine whether they will face criminal charges.