By Aderinola Abimbola.
11 farmers in a town in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto state have been reportedly killed in an attack by notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji.
The attack reportedly occurred in the early hours of Wednesday 3rd of April as Turji and his men were returning from a Sallah visit.
A resident of Isa, Basharu Altine Giyawa, confirmed the occurrence, revealing that locals had been aware of the bandit’s planned visit to Gatawa in Sabon Birni Local Government Area since Saturday.
The community had reportedly alerted the security agencies about the movement of the bandit leader but received no effective response.
“Yesterday, Turji and his men left Fakai, his village in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. They passed through several communities in Isa before attending their Sallah celebrations. On their way back, they brutally killed 11 farmers,” Giyawa said.
A local security official, Sani Abubakar, confirmed the incident, stating that security personnel had received reports of Turji’s movement but denied that he celebrated Sallah in any community under his jurisdiction.
“Yes, we got intelligence about the planned visit to the eastern part of Gatawa and took action. We deployed security measures in Sabon Birni to prevent his entry. This may have been why he directed his anger at innocent farmers in Isa”, he said.
The spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, spoke on the matter, saying that only the military could confirm the attack, as they were responsible for security operations in the area.
