Locals Surrender Their Harvest to Kingpin Bello Turji Every Year
By Mike Odeh James and Luka Binniyat
(Kaduna) – Nigeria’s most wanted Bandit, Bello Turji is under intense pressure as Nigerian troops inch towards capturing or killing him in his stronghold among the rocks and woods of Zamfara State, Northwest Nigeria, multiple sources tell Truth Nigeria.
The bandit kingpin, according to Nigerian media, imposed a $20,000 levy (N30 million) on Moriki town in Zamfara State following the killing of more than 100 of his cows by the military some weeks ago. Army Chief of Staff told media Sept. 10 that Turji was deranged and would soon be snatched or killed.
But Turji, a Fulani-tribe outlaw believed to command more than 1,000 bandits, has kidnapped 15 of the leading citizens of Moriki and threatens to execute them unless he gets his ransom $20,000. The deadline he set was yesterday, Sept. 11, TruthNigeria can confirm.
However, Turji’s effort to subjugate Moriki fits a pattern of bandit-terrorist takeover of vast swaths of ungoverned territory in northern states such as Niger, Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigiwa in particular. As TruthNigeria has reported, in terrorist-controlled counties such as Shiroro in Niger State, bandits allied with insurgencies such as Boko Haram and Ansaru, have forced farmers into a form of serfdom.
Ruthless Control of captured areas
Every farming season, residents of Moriki are and environs are forced to pay a crippling ransom in crops and surrender their men to work on Turji’s farms for free, resident claimed.
“At the beginning of every farming season, we are asked to pay Bello Turji about $13,000 dollars in the form of crops,” says Abubakar Mai-Angwa, head of a sub-unit of Moriki small town to Truth Nigeria, Tuesday.
This criminal practice fits a widespread pattern. CGTN’s Africa Live has documented that farmers in the bandit-dominated states of Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Jigiwa farmers have to pay bandit leaders twice a year just to till their own land during planting and harvesting seasons.
SB Morgen, a security research firm, estimated that $22.5 billion in bandit related ransoms extortions and thefts were paid in Nigeria between 2020 and 2023.Aggregated estimates for crimes including cattle rustling, kidnapping and rent taking from farmers is approximately $500 million to $1.25 billion USD) annually, according to SB Morgen.
Keep in mind that Nigeria’s minimum wage per month is $46 dollars.
“Additionally, we are expected to surrender some men to him to work on his farms,” Abubakar Mai-Angwa told TruthNigera.
“That is not all; we also send him our harvest in November or December every year since 2022,” he went on to say.
“At times, our girls and young wives are kidnapped by these terrorists loyal to Turji, and there is nothing that we could do. This is the situation that we found ourselves in before we asked the Army to intervene,” Mai-Angwa said.
Apart from Mai-Angwa account, others have affirmed that Moriki has become the epicenter of Turji’s terror, as he operated with impunity.
Moriki town has been transformed into Turji’s hideout and a hub for his nefarious activities. Gambo Saadu Moriki, a retired army sergeant, now a farmer and Imam (Islamic cleric) further painted a dire picture of the situation:
Turji’s Operational base
“Zurmi County is the operational headquarters of terror Kingpin Turji, and Moriki is his hideout. Turji has completely captured the people of my town, bringing in Fulani militants from Niger and Mali to wreak havoc,” he lamented.
“The terrorists’ atrocities know no bounds, ranging from brutal killings to kidnappings and theft.
“We hear that they are also engaged in illegal mining of gold. And we farm his vast farmlands here,” Moriki said in anger.
“A Fulani boy of 13 can come into your farm and steal everything you have planted, and you will still tell him ‘nagode yan labbai’ (“thank you, sir”), or you will be killed,” he said of the humiliation they have endured.
Moriki told TruthNigeria that Turji was in the process of setting up a permanent parallel administration in Moriki; hence, community elders made a passionate appeal to the Federal Government which, luckily, the Nigeria military heeded.
Pressure mounting on Turji
In response to the pleas of Moriki elders, the Nigerian Army, led by one Major A. A. Mala, initiated a comprehensive operation to dismantle Turji’s terror network.
Gambo Saadu Moriki revealed that since August 27, 2024, the military has been executing a multi-phase strategy to isolate and eliminate Turji’s cohorts.
“The soldiers first secured the porous borders between Niger Republic and Zurmi County, preventing reinforcements from entering Moriki,” Saadu Moriki said.
“Then, they restricted movement of suspected terrorists from other counties, effectively cutting off Turji’s supply lines.
“I know this, because I have direct discussions with the troops as their former colleague” he said.
With the enemy’s lines of communication and reinforcement severed, the army launched a frontal assault on Turji’s hideouts, Moriki said.
By early September, the operation had yielded significant results: more than 20 terrorists killed, dozens of motorcycles confiscated, and Turji’s cattle slaughtered, he added.
“Turji had to flee Moriki to evade capture or death, but he creeps in to kidnap occasionally,” Moriki said.
“The new Army commander, Major Mala, has vowed that he will have Turji killed or captured or get him deformed in a way that he would remain useless for life should he escape alive,” he added.
Tension and anxiety in Moriki
Since escaping from his hideout, Turji has resorted to kidnapping Moriki’s elders, religious leaders, and social activists to punish the community. He has stealthily taken over 15 hostages, despite the presence of soldiers in the area. The victims’ families are worried about their safety, and the community fears Turji’s vengeance.
“Turji has vowed to continue kidnapping until he receives compensation for his cattle killed by the army.
“He claims that Moriki elders invited the military to attack him, and therefore, they should bear the brunt of his anger,” according to Moriki.
An X user, Bulama Burkati, an analyst with Daily Trust, tweeted on his X handle (@bulamabukarti) Turji’s demands Sunday:
“The people of Moriki Town of Zamfara State have managed to convince Bello Turji to reduce the ransom he imposed on them from N50 million to N30 million, with a Wednesday deadline for payment.
“This sum is supposedly compensation for the killing of Turji’s cows by the new commandant of the army base stationed inside Moriki.
“Each family head is required to contribute N10,000, while unmarried adults must pay N2,000.
“Despite the commandant’s advice not to pay and his promise never to harm Turji’s animals again, the commandant people remain doubtful.
“They fear that if they fail to meet this extortion demand, Turji will unleash violence upon them, with no one to protect them from his brutality,” he wrote.
“Currently, 15 local politicians and social activists are in Turji’s captivity, and they were abducted from within Moriki despite the presence of soldiers,” Bulama said.
For now, it is becoming obvious that Turji is running out of time, provided that the military operation aimed at getting him is sustained. It is same with the hostages he has taken.
Luka Binniyat and Mike Odeh are seasoned conflict reporter based in Kaduna
