Zamfara Government Vows to Keep Pursuing Bandit Leader Turji After Landmark Security Victory

In a significant development in the ongoing fight against armed criminal gangs in northwestern Nigeria, the Zamfara State Government has announced a decisive win against notorious bandits following a well-coordinated security operation conducted earlier this week.

The statement was made public by Alhaji Ahmad Manga, Special Adviser on Security Matters to Governor Dauda Lawal, during an interview with the BBC Hausa service on Thursday. Manga revealed that the high-risk operation carried out on Monday targeted one of the most dangerous and elusive criminal leaders in the region.

“We give thanks to God. He was finally discovered in his stronghold — a remote and previously unreachable location. For the first time, he realized he’s not invincible,” Manga disclosed.

According to him, the operation marked a turning point in Zamfara’s security campaign, with heavily armed security personnel launching an intense assault that inflicted severe casualties on the bandit group.

“Many of his loyal fighters were eliminated. The losses were so heavy even the bandit leader couldn’t count how many men he lost,” Manga emphasized.

“Most of the bodies recovered from the operation site belonged to his foot soldiers.”

Among the major incidents during the confrontation was the fatal crash involving Bashari Maniya, a once-dreaded bandit who had since renounced criminality and had been assisting security forces with intelligence. Maniya died after the vehicle he was traveling in crashed into a deep ditch while trying to escape through the forest during the operation.

To dispel rumors, Manga clarified that Maniya’s death wasn’t due to enemy bullets.

“It was a newly acquired vehicle, and the driver was unfamiliar with the forest terrain. As they sped through, the vehicle suddenly plunged into a ditch resembling a deep well. It somersaulted uncontrollably. It was the accident — not gunfire — that led to his demise,” he explained.

Despite being equipped with bulletproof capabilities, the vehicle could not protect its occupants from the impact of the crash. Security backup teams later discovered the passengers unconscious inside the wrecked vehicle.

Ahmad Manga reiterated that Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration remains fully committed to capturing Bello Turji, the infamous bandit kingpin, who has long terrorized communities in Zamfara, especially in the Shinkafi axis.

“We are determined, by God’s grace, to continue pursuing him until he is captured. People from Shinkafi and surrounding areas remember the atrocities Turji committed over the past 14 years. But this time, the difference is clear — even Turji knows it. This was the closest any security team has ever come to him — right inside his residence,” Manga revealed.

He added that the Zamfara State Government will intensify the pressure by deploying additional military forces to maintain the momentum of the current crackdown and ensure that Turji and his collaborators face justice.

Independent reports from local and national sources confirmed that during the intense confrontation, Turji managed to escape capture by fleeing into hiding. However, the outcome of the operation is widely seen as the strongest indication yet that the security dragnet is tightening around him.