RipplesCount: Who will get notorious bandit, Bello Turji, first; new terror group, Lakurawa, or CDS Musa?

It is now three months (three months and four days precisely) since Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Chris Musa assured Nigerians that the reign of terror by notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, would soon be a thing of the past.

Worried by the menace caused by Turji and his gang of bandits, coupled with the outcry of Nigerians and an ultimatum given the military by President Bola Tinubu to take out bandits, Gen. Musa had, during a press conference on August 10th, vowed that the Nigerian military would soon eliminate the most feared bandit leader in the Northwest who had been responsible for orchestrating numerous attacks and killing of thousands of residents of Zamfara State.

Describing Turji as a deranged fellow who would soon meet his waterloo, Musa had said:
“On the issue of Turji, like I said, he is just a deranged individual who feels power, but I can bet you that it’s just a matter of time.

“It is a matter of time, we’re going to get him, and I can assure you that it will be within the shortest possible time”.

As Nigerians waited for the CDS and the military to fulfill their promise of taking out Turji, the bandit kingpin became more daring, and became bolder in his criminal activities.

The terrorist turned out to be a thorn in the flesh of the Nigerian military forces, releasing several videos where he taunted security personnel, daring them to come after him.

In one of such videos, he called Gen. Musa by his first name, daring him to supply more sophisticated weapons to soldiers to come and fight with his gang, boasting that he could match the Nigerian Army gun for gun.

In another video, the dreaded bandit who dressed in full military fatigue and brandishing sophisticated weapons, boldly charged Musa to get all the weapons in the military arsenal and come after him.

READ ALSO: Leader of Lakurawa sect reportedly sends strong warning to Bello Turji

In yet another video, the bandit kingpin taunted the Nigerian government and security operatives, asking them when the chase for him would commence. He then asked rhetorically whether they were scared of him, while in another video, Turji introduced a giveaway to his followers while displaying wads of naira notes he must have gotten as ransom from his kidnapped victims.

But while it appears that Turji has been invincible for the Nigerian military, a new jihadist sect, Lakurawa, seems to be willing to do what the military seemingly has not been able to do.

This is so as the leader of the Lakurawa Islamist sect identified as Ameer Habib Tajje, reportedly sent a strong warning to Turji, asking him to denounce all acts of banditry and criminality otherwise the new terror group would take him out.

Counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, who revealed this on Monday on X, said Tajje was preparing to send a delegation to Turji to warn him against continuing with his activities which include kidnaping for ransom, killing of innocent people and security personnel as well as rustling cattle.

“Ameer Habib Tajje, leader of the Lakurawa in Northwestern Sokoto, Sends Strong Message to Bandit Leader Bello Turji.

“In a strange turn of events, Ameer Habib Tajje, the influential leader of the Lakurawa group in the northwestern region of Sokoto, is reportedly preparing to send a powerful delegation to bandit leader Bello Turji, demanding his complete renouncement of criminal activities,” Makama had said.

For those who do not know, the Lakurawa sect were initially invited by some community leaders in Sokoto State to help battle bandits. But after dislodging the bandits, the sect members decided to establish themselves by imposing strict Islamic laws and with time, began a reign of terror, imposing taxes, fines and levies on the people, while also spending huge amounts as incentives to recruit youths into the terror group.

With the warning by Tajje to Turji to denounce his criminal activities or stand the risk of being eliminated, and with the Minister of Defence, Bello Matawalle tasking the Army to get Turji within the shortest possible time, the race is now on.

Nigerians, wait again to see who would be more effective in eliminating the threat called Bello Turji. Will the Nigerian military led by General Musa fulfill its promise to Nigerians, or will another terror group be the first to get to the notorious bandit?

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