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How Bandit Leader Turji Escaped NAF Bombings

Published

3 years ago

September 19, 2022

Zamfara bandit leader, Bello Turji

Details have emerged as to how notorious Zamfara bandit leader, Bello Turji, narrowly escaped being trapped in aerial bombings by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets on his enclave located at Fakai in Shinkafi LGA, Zamfara State.

Reports from the area said there was heightened tension over the weekend among Turji’s men and residents, who feared possible attack in response to the military operation.

Daily Trust reports that NAF troops, acting on intelligence on the convergence of bandits at Turji’s home, bombed the locations using two fighter jets on Saturday afternoon.

The crowd was said to have gathered for the naming ceremony of a baby born to Turji’s family.

While details of the extent of the damage inflicted on the camp remain sketchy, Daily Trust gathered that Turji and most of his close associates escaped the attack, having left the spot to observe the afternoon prayer (zuhr) just before the strikes.

“He (Turji) directed that they should observe the prayers. Those who didn’t leave for the prayers were hit by the bombs,” a source in Shinkafi told our reporter.

The escape on Saturday was the second time the bandit leader had escaped such an assault. In December 2021, a NAF bomb targeted at his camp hit some of his fighters, wounding many and killing at least one person.

The bomb was said to have been dropped moments after Turji had left his house.

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A source from the nearby village of Dangondi, who was among those who escaped the Saturday airstrike, told Daily Trust that many people were killed but did not give figures. He said those killed were buried after the commotion from the attack died down.

“Some young men were killed. There were also women and children who had gathered for the ceremony,” he said.

Turji is notorious for his role in the banditry challenge in Zamfara and beyond.

He maintains a large gang of gunmen who for years have terrorised residents in Shinkafi and Zurmi local governments of Zamfara, and Isa and Sabon Birni local governments of Sokoto State.

Late last year, the bandit leader told Daily Trust on Sunday in an exclusive interview that he was laying down his arms. The ceasefire deal between him and the local communities led to renewed peace in the area, with many hitherto sacked farming communities returning to their farms this farming season.

But a security source said Turji’s repentance was doubted by security agencies as he allegedly continues to acquire more weapons.

Another source said the attack could be because Turji’s name kept cropping up in security reports for engaging in gunrunning.

How rival gang ‘snitched’ on Turji

Daily Trust gathered that the attack on Turji is suspected to have been made possible through information provided by his arch-rivals from nearby Maniya community.

Turji has for long being in a fierce rivalry with the Maniya gang, with the two sides clashing on some occasions.

Daily Trust recalled that in June, this year, Turji led his men to attack the enclave of the bandits in Maniya, killing one of the leaders in the area known as Dullu.

The attack by Turji followed a series of warnings to the gang in Maniya to desist from waylaying travellers and attacking villagers, after he had struck a ceasefire deal with the locals.

“The strong suspicion is that the Maniya boys snitched on him when they heard of the gathering. You know, the two sides have been at each other’s throats.

“Even about three weeks ago, he sent them a warning about some things happening around the area,” a source in Shinkafi who declined to be named said.

Residents panic over possible reprisal

“People are in a panic,” a resident of Shinkafi, Alhaji Murtala Wadatau, told Daily Trust by phone on Sunday afternoon. He said there was an uneasy calm in Shinkafi and surrounding villages as residents were worried over what could follow the airstrikes.

Bandits are known to have retaliated against attacks by security agents on local communities.

He said the relative peace enjoyed in the area, since Turji announced a ceasefire last year, has accorded people the opportunity to farm and also travel on the hitherto dangerous roads at any time.

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“We are looking for a permanent solution to this problem. Everyone in this town now has his heart in his mouth, including women at home, because we know any attack could be a provocation that could thwart the peace we currently enjoy.

“We don’t have sufficient security at the moment here, and residents have been disarmed after the last ceasefire deal. Now that people are disarmed who can defend us from these people?” he said.

Wadatau said though Turji has not surrendered his arms, which could make his repentance insincere, he has thus far allowed residents to live peacefully and even provided some protection to locals.

“A few weeks ago, he went to dislodge a market around Bafarawa where they sold stolen cattle and ordered that the market be returned to its schedule as a weekly market. He seized the money with which the cattle rustlers transacted.”

Wadatau called on the government to implement a more sustainable campaign that would bring a permanent end to the banditry problem, rather than a one-off operation.

We’ll sustain the tempo – DHQ

Responding to the people’s fears and plea for sustained operation, Director of Defence Information, Major General Jimmy Akpor, said the military “will continue to maintain the heat” on the bandit groups.

“Operations are going to be sustained both by air and ground troops,” he told Daily Trust Sunday night.

“”Government institutions have a constitutional responsibility to keep the environment safe and that we must do,” he said.

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EFCC Holds El-Rufai Overnight Over ₦423bn Kaduna Corruption Allegations

Published

12 seconds ago

February 17, 2026

Trends Admin

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai

EFCC Holds El-Rufai Overnight Over ₦423bn Kaduna Corruption Allegations

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, spent Monday night in detention at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission headquarters in Abuja after hours of interrogation over allegations linked to a multi-billion-naira corruption investigation involving his administration.

El-Rufai arrived at the EFCC headquarters around 10 a.m. on Monday after honouring an invitation and was questioned throughout the day over claims contained in a **2024 report of the Kaduna State House of Assembly. The report accused his government of financial mismanagement, abuse of office, irregular contract awards, and improper loan utilisation between 2015 and 2023. By late Monday night, sources confirmed that he remained in custody.

A senior EFCC official said investigators had been working on the case for nearly a year, explaining that invitations to high-profile suspects are usually issued only after preliminary findings reach an advanced stage. EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale confirmed that El-Rufai honoured the invitation but declined to comment on the substance of the interrogation or disclose the next steps in the investigation.

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The EFCC probe is anchored on findings by an ad hoc committee of the Kaduna State House of Assembly mandated to review the state’s finances, loans, and contract executions during El-Rufai’s tenure. The committee alleged that several loans were not applied to their stated purposes, claiming that about ₦423 billion was misapplied or unaccounted for, leaving Kaduna State with heavy financial liabilities.

Lawmakers subsequently recommended the prosecution of El-Rufai and senior officials of his administration for alleged money laundering, contract irregularities, and reckless borrowing. The report also cited disputed payments exceeding ₦155 million, the alleged diversion of ₦1.37 billion meant for a light rail project, and the purported laundering of ₦64.8 million by senior aides.

El-Rufai has consistently denied wrongdoing, describing the legislative report as politically motivated and insisting that all loans were lawfully obtained and deployed to projects in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and security across Kaduna State.

In a parallel development, the Federal Government filed criminal charges against El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing him of unlawfully intercepting communications linked to the **National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The three-count charge, filed under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act and the Nigerian Communications Act, alleges that El-Rufai admitted during a **February 13 interview on Arise TV that he and associates listened to phone calls connected to the NSA. Prosecutors argue that the alleged actions amount to illegal interception and failure to report a cybercrime offence, which they say could pose national security risks. No arraignment date has been fixed.

Meanwhile, security sources disclosed that the Department of State Services has reopened investigations into the 2019 disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, a lecturer and government critic who went missing in Kaduna.

According to the sources, El-Rufai’s international passport was seized at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as part of ongoing investigations. Officials said the probe may also extend to social media activities by individuals connected to the case.

El-Rufai has repeatedly denied any involvement in Dadiyata’s disappearance, maintaining that he neither knew the activist personally nor ordered or sanctioned any action against him, and has called for an independent investigation to establish the truth.

EFCC Holds El-Rufai Overnight Over ₦423bn Kaduna Corruption Allegations

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Troops Intercept ₦37m Terror Funds, Phones, ISWAP Logistics in Borno Operations

Published

9 minutes ago

February 17, 2026

Trends Admin

Troops Intercept ₦37m Terror Funds in Borno

Troops Intercept ₦37m Terror Funds, Phones, ISWAP Logistics in Borno Operations

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have intercepted ₦37 million in cash and several mobile phones suspected to be linked to terrorist financing and coordination during a security operation in Borno State.

The recovery was made at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Chabbal checkpoint, a strategic location along routes frequently exploited by insurgents in the North-East. During a routine stop-and-search, troops intercepted a vehicle conveying five occupants—three men and two women—and discovered about ₦37 million concealed in bags.

According to the North-East Joint Task Force, multiple mobile phones were also recovered from the suspects. The devices are believed to have been used for terrorist communication, coordination, and funding activities. The suspects and items have been taken into custody for further investigation.

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The interception forms part of sustained efforts to dismantle financial networks sustaining insurgent operations, with the military intensifying checks along key transit corridors to disrupt terror funding pipelines.

In a related operation, troops of Sector 1, working with local vigilante forces, carried out a night ambush along a known crossing route used by insurgents moving from Cameroon into Nigeria. Elements of the Islamic State West Africa Province encountered heavy firepower, retreated, and abandoned logistics supplies believed to be intended for their operations.

The military said the coordinated actions were aimed at blocking both the movement and financing of terrorist groups, adding that the high command has commended the troops for vigilance and professionalism, and reaffirmed commitment to restoring peace and stability in the North-East.

Troops Intercept ₦37m Terror Funds, Phones, ISWAP Logistics in Borno Operations

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Police Arrest 13 as Armed Robbers Engage Officers in Fierce Gun Battle in Abuja

Published

18 hours ago

February 16, 2026

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FCT Police Commissioner, CP Miller G. Dantawaye

Police Arrest 13 as Armed Robbers Engage Officers in Fierce Gun Battle in Abuja

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested 13 suspected members of a criminal syndicate responsible for a wave of violent armed robberies across Federal Capital Territory, following intense gun battles in multiple locations within the nation’s capital.

The suspects were linked to coordinated robberies in Gwagwalada, Apo, Waru, Jahi, Wuse, and other parts of Abuja, with investigations revealing that the same gang had earlier carried out attacks in Asokoro, Mabuchi, and Utako, targeting hotels, residential apartments, and unsuspecting residents.

Confirming the development, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Miller G. Dantawaye, said the arrests followed credible intelligence that led operatives to a criminal hideout in Durumi, an Abuja suburb notorious for criminal activity.

According to the police chief, operatives stormed the hideout after sustained surveillance but were met with heavy gunfire from the suspects. The police team responded decisively, overpowering the gang and arresting eight suspects during the initial exchange.

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The operation was led by ACP Victor O. Godfrey, commander of the Scorpion Squad, a tactical unit of the FCT Police Command tasked with handling high-risk crime and armed robbery cases.

The command explained that the Scorpion Squad had earlier conducted intelligence-led operations in Apo-Waru and Durumi following multiple complaints from victims of violent robberies in Asokoro, Mabuchi, and Utako.

Further follow-up operations led operatives to a second hideout in Apo-Waru, where another gun duel occurred. Five additional suspects were arrested at the location, bringing the total number of suspects in custody to 13.

Police said the suspects were positively identified using CCTV footage obtained from one of their recent robbery operations, providing critical evidence linking them to multiple crimes across the FCT.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate was behind several high-profile robberies, including an attack on a hotel in Gwagwalada, where victims were dispossessed of cash, foreign currency, and mobile phones, while a vigilante operative was disarmed.

Another incident linked to the gang was a robbery at a Travel Lodge in Wuse Zone 6, during which a police officer sustained serious injuries, and a vehicle was stolen. The suspects were also implicated in a robbery at a residential apartment in Jahi, affecting residents, including security aides attached to the Executive Governor of Kebbi State.

The 13 suspects were identified as Yahaya Hassan, Umar Shuaibu, Adamu Ibrahim, Abubakar Sani, Abdullazeez Usain, Aliyu Aminu, Aliyu Adam, Ibrahim Usman, Suleiman Yawata, Mohammed Ali, Sani Hamza, and Hassan Abba.

Items recovered from the suspects include a grey Toyota Corolla (2015 model) with registration number ABC 200 GP, one AK-47 rifle, one locally fabricated rifle, one Jericho 941 pistol, 7.62×39mm ammunition, seven rounds of 9mm live ammunition, assorted iPhones, $100 in one-dollar denominations, and assorted charms.

CP Dantawaye said investigations are ongoing to identify other members of the syndicate and trace the source of the weapons. He added that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

The police commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property in Abuja and urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities through the command’s emergency lines: 08032003913 and 08061581938.