Members of local vigilantes in Zamfara State, supported by government forces reported routed over 100 bandits in a fierce gun battle earlier this week.

Ahmad Manga, security adviser to the Zamfara State governor, confirmed the operation was led by the Zamfara Civilian Protection Guard (CPG). He said they stormed the stronghold of notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, in Shinkafi district.

“The coalition took the fight to Turji’s stronghold in Shinkafi district where he lost more than 100 fighters in the battle,” Manga said.

The CPG was joined by militia members from Borno State. These fighters had previously assisted the military in battling Boko Haram insurgents and were brought in by the Zamfara government to help in this latest mission.

Battle Led by Former Bandit Turned Ally

The operation was led by Bashari Maniya, a former bandit now working with the authorities. The mission, according to Manga, “was aimed at getting Turji, dead or alive.”

Turji, who is considered one of Nigeria’s most dangerous bandits, reportedly received advance notice of the attack. A security source said he quickly called in fighters from nearby camps to support him.

“It will be hard to give an exact number, but the toll is quite huge,” the source said, referring to the number of bandits killed.

Despite the success, the fight came at a cost. At least 20 members of the vigilante and militia forces died, including Maniya.

In a video posted online Tuesday, Turji was seen celebrating with his fighters over the bodies of at least nine fallen vigilantes. He pointed to one corpse and said, “Bashir Maniya,” confirming the death of the government ally.

Turji’s Legacy of Violence and Broken Promises

Turji, 31, abandoned cattle herding in 2011 and became a gang leader in Shinkafi. He has since carried out raids, kidnappings, and massacres across Zamfara and neighbouring Sokoto State.

He once entered into peace agreements with Zamfara State officials, but later broke them and returned to violence.

In 2021, Turji appeared in a viral video threatening to invite foreign armed groups to destabilise Nigeria. That same year, airstrikes on his camp killed his brother and several relatives, yet he escaped unharmed.

Authorities and analysts have warned that bandit groups in Nigeria’s northwest are growing stronger and forming alliances with jihadists from the northeast.

The rise in violence has shifted from disputes between Fulani herders and farmers to a widespread armed conflict driven by ransom, cattle theft, illegal arms trafficking, and, some say, illegal mineral mining.

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