By Eshioromeh Sebastian
A video believed to feature wanted bandit leader Bello Turji has emerged online, with the kingpin claiming responsibility for deadly assaults on security forces in parts of Sokoto and Zamfara states, while simultaneously signalling openness to peace talks with the government.
In the footage, recorded in Hausa and dated June 20, 2026, the masked speaker, flanked by heavily armed men in camouflage, claimed his fighters had struck against those he accused of killing community members and seizing livestock .
He said, “Some people who are chasing away our livestock are killing our innocent brothers and sisters, people who have done nothing wrong, in places such as Shinkafi in Zamfara State, Sabon Birni in Sokoto State and other surrounding areas” .
He added, “Allah granted us victory over these people who are carrying out these operations and driving away our livestock. We killed them. May Allah help us to succeed in defeating them and in recovering our animals from their hands” .
The bandit leader also addressed the prospect of dialogue with authorities. According to him, “If the government is ready for negotiation, we are also ready for negotiation. But if they want to continue with force, we are prepared. Our fighters are ready for whatever comes” .
He further declared, “We are ready for peace, but if they choose war, we are also ready. We will defend ourselves”.
The video surfaced days after a devastating ambush along the Isa–Bargaja axis in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State. Residents said bandits invaded the village between 12:30 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., forcing locals to call for military intervention.
Security sources and eyewitnesses reported that a Nigerian Army patrol vehicle struck an Improvised Explosive Device planted on the road. One resident, speaking anonymously, said, “They were on their way to rescue us when the vehicle hit the explosive. Many soldiers were affected”.
Casualty figures remain unconfirmed. While Leadership Newspaper reported four soldiers killed, other accounts put the number at two soldiers with several others injured.
A resident who visited the military camp in Isa town claimed three soldiers, including a driver, lost their lives, and their remains were evacuated to Sokoto . Another source alleged troops came under a coordinated ambush, with attackers allowing an Armoured Personnel Carrier to pass before targeting a Hilux vehicle behind it .
Military authorities have yet to issue an official casualty statement.
Separately, fresh intelligence reports have raised alarm over alleged weapons training and tactical drills by Turji’s loyalists in communities along the Sokoto-Zamfara border .
The Nigerian Army confirmed it has received intelligence indicating Turji’s fighters are conducting military-style exercises in communities including Bingabale, Bafarawa, Bargaja, and Gebe in Eastern Sokoto . According to security sources, the drills involve close associates such as Illa Manawa and Dodo, reportedly Turji’s younger brother.
The army’s Acting Deputy Director of Public Relations, Lt. Col. Osoba Olaniyi, confirmed the military is aware of the intelligence reports and is actively assessing the situation .
Community security stakeholder Basharu Altine Guyawa Isa alleged the fighters are training on sophisticated weapons recently brought into the area . He claimed newly recruited fighters with links to Boko Haram and advanced combat experience had arrived to strengthen Turji’s network . He warned of possible coordinated attacks targeting local government headquarters in eastern Sokoto before the rainy season.
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