• Attack
• Bandits
• Bello Turji
• Militia

OVER 100 BANDITS KILLED IN ZAMFARA GUN BATTLE, GOVERNMENT-BACKED VIGILANTES CLAIM VICTORY

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  CapitalTimesNews / 3 weeks
• 0
• 2 min read

More than 100 bandits, including fighters of notorious “bandit kingpin” Bello Turji, have been killed in a fierce gun battle with government-backed vigilantes in Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria. The battle, which lasted for hours, was between members of the Zamfara Civilian Protection Guard (CPG) and Turji’s fighters in Shinkafi district. According to Ahmad Manga, security adviser to the state governor of Zamfara, the CPG, supported by militia members from northeastern Borno, stormed Turji’s stronghold in a bid to capture or kill him. “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 attack was led by Bashari Maniya, a former bandit who is now assisting the government. However, both Manga and a security source confirmed that Maniya was killed in the battle, along with at least 20 other vigilantes and militia members. A security source confirmed the incident, saying Turji had learned about the plans in advance and invited fighters from other bandit camps to fight off the attack. “It will be hard to give an exact number, but the toll is quite huge” on the bandits’ side, the source said. In an online video, Turji was seen celebrating with his men over the bodies of at least nine vigilantes and militia members killed in the fight. Turji also identified one of the bodies as “Bashir Maniya” in the video. Turji, 31, has been terrorizing communities in Zamfara and neighboring Sokoto state since 2011, and has survived several military offensives. He had made several peace agreements with Zamfara state authorities only to renege later.