Communities in the eastern part of Sokoto State have raised fresh security concerns following reports that notorious bandit leader Bello Turji and his loyalists are conducting weapon training and tactical drills in parts of Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The development has heightened fears among residents of border communities who have for years endured repeated attacks, kidnappings and cattle rustling along the Sokoto-Zamfara axis.
Security sources said the alleged training activities are taking place in communities such as Bingabale, Bafarawa, Bargaja and Gebe, all located within the Eastern Senatorial District.
The area has long been regarded as one of the operational strongholds of Turji and his network.
Turji is one of the most notorious bandit and terrorist leaders operating in northwestern Nigeria, particularly in Zamfara, Sokoto and parts of Niger State.
He has been linked to numerous deadly attacks that claimed the lives of scores of residents and security personnel, destroyed livelihoods and led to the abduction of many people across the region.
The bandit kingpin is believed to command dozens of fighters drawn from different camps in Zamfara State, including those in Zurmi, Sabon Birni, Anka and other communities.
Over the years, Turji has reportedly rejected several peace initiatives by affected communities seeking reconciliation to regain access to their farmlands, schools, healthcare facilities and markets.
In October 2024, a former Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar Badaru, directed troops of Operation Fansan Yamma to ensure the capture of Turji and other notorious bandit leaders, dead or alive.
Addressing the troops during a visit to Gusau, Zamfara State, Badaru said: “President Tinubu has asked me to thank you and to also encourage you to do more in ending insecurity in these operational areas.
“He is ready to supply everything you need to eliminate insecurity in the Northwest and across Nigeria.”
He added, “Are you ready to finish them off? Are you ready to end banditry in this country? Please get me Turji, dead or alive,” he added.
In the same year, the military high command also described Turji as a “dead man walking,” vowing to sustain operations against him and his fighters.
Despite these declarations and ongoing military offensives, Turji and his group have continued to carry out attacks and other criminal activities in parts of the Northwest.
‘Turji’s fighters undergoing military-style drills with new weapons’
The Sokoto State Coordinator of the Movement for Social Justice and Good Governance, Basharu Altine Guyawa Isa, alleged in a Facebook post on Saturday that Turji’s fighters were undergoing military-style training and weapons handling exercises using newly acquired arms.
He said some of those participating in the drills include Illa Manawa and Bomi, whom he identified as Turji’s younger brother.
He claimed that the exercises involved the use of sophisticated weapons allegedly deployed during recent confrontations with security forces operating in the area.
Basharu further alleged that preliminary findings indicated that the weapons were part of a fresh consignment recently acquired by the group, raising concerns over a possible increase in the firepower available to armed gangs operating in the region.
“Our findings suggest that these fighters are currently engaged in weapons training and tactical exercises using newly acquired arms, including some of the same sophisticated weapons reportedly deployed during recent confrontations with security forces,” he said.
The alleged training sessions are said to be taking place in remote communities along the Sokoto-Zamfara border, an area that has remained difficult to secure despite ongoing military operations under Operation Fansan Yamma.
The activist also alleged that newly arrived fighters believed to have links with Boko Haram, and possessing advanced combat and weapons-handling skills, had entered the area to train and strengthen Turji’s fighters.
“There are indications that some of the new arrivals possess advanced combat and weapons-handling expertise. Their mission, according to sources, is to train and strengthen Turji’s fighters operating within the border communities of Sokoto and Zamfara states,” he said.
According to him, intelligence gathered from sources in Binchi suggested that a night-vision device allegedly purchased by Turji last week was among the equipment recently delivered to his camp.
Basharu further alleged that Kachalla Haru Dole and Kachalla Ibrahim Chimo, whom he described as commanders controlling large bandit camps beyond the Maradun River, were connected to the acquisition and movement of the weapons.
He claimed that the two commanders played key roles in facilitating the delivery of the arms alongside Turji.
The activist also alleged that ongoing investigations were uncovering details of a growing alliance between Chimo and Turji, which he said could form part of a wider strategy aimed at expanding their operational reach across Eastern Sokoto.
He expressed concern that the alliance might be part of preparations for coordinated attacks on the headquarters of five local government areas in the region before the peak of the rainy season.
Basharu said more information would emerge as investigations continued into the alleged alliance, the movement of the weapons and the broader security implications for communities across Eastern Sokoto.
He called on security agencies to intensify surveillance and take proactive measures to verify the intelligence and prevent any potential threat to lives and property.
Video: Turji claims responsibility for soldiers’ killing
Hours after making the allegations, the activist shared a video on Facebook on Sunday morning, which he claimed showed some of the newly acquired weapons in Turji’s possession.
In a follow-up post accompanying the footage, Basharu alleged that the video was released by Turji on June 20, 2026, and contained images of some of the weapons referenced in his earlier report.
He further claimed that Turji used the video to showcase what he described as successes recorded against security forces operating along the Isa-Bargaja corridor.
Daily Trust had reported how three soldiers were killed, and several others sustained injuries after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded on a military vehicle conveying troops to Bargaja community in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The troops were said to be responding to a distress call following a bandit attack on the community in the early hours of Saturday.
Residents told Daily Trust that bandits invaded the village between 12:30am and 3:00am, shooting sporadically, forcing residents to seek military intervention.
A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity alleged that the attackers planted an IED along the Isa-Bargaja road before the arrival of the troops.
In the video, which Turji released after the incident, the bandit warlord said he was excited that some of his enemies had been killed.
The claims contained in the Facebook posts and accompanying video could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the military nor the police authorities had issued any statement regarding the incident.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Sokoto State Police Command were unsuccessful as calls, text and WhatsApp messages sent to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufai, were not responded.
But sources close to the military said the military was aware of the intelligence reports and was assessing the situation.
He assured that appropriate security measures were being implemented.