Aminu Boza, a lawmaker in the Sokoto State House of Assembly representing Sabon Birnin Gobir, has raised serious concerns about the notorious bandit leader Bello Turji, accusing him of imposing a ₦25 million levy on villages in the eastern part of the state.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Boza revealed that Turji, who had been hiding for months, had resurfaced in the Isa and Sabon Birni areas. “Bello Turji is currently in the Isa and Sabon Birni axis of Sokoto. He has even imposed a ₦25 million levy per village in some communities,” Boza stated, highlighting the escalating threat posed by the bandit leader.
The lawmaker called on security agencies and local authorities to take immediate action to curb the growing wave of banditry in the region, urging a swift and decisive response.
This alarming development comes on the heels of a recent statement by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, who shared that Turji had expressed a willingness to surrender. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, General Musa revealed that sustained military pressure had significantly weakened Turji’s network, with the elimination of his second-in-command and several key lieutenants.
“He’s now forced to release most of the people under him,” General Musa said. “Recently, he has begun to say he doesn’t want anything; he is ready to surrender.”
However, the Defence Chief made it clear that Turji would not be spared from facing justice for his numerous crimes. “Anybody who has killed should go. People like him should not be allowed to stay,” Musa emphasized, reaffirming the military’s commitment to bringing bandits to justice and restoring peace to the region.
Turji remains one of Nigeria’s most wanted terror leaders, notorious for his involvement in deadly attacks, kidnappings, and killings across the northwest.
