RIPPLES NIGERIA
Notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji has dared the Nigerian military to come after him stating that he and his gang are not afraid of death.
Turji who has been very vocal on social media in the last few weeks, said in a trending video posted on X that he and his foot soldiers wouldn’t have taken up arms in the first place if they were afraid of death.
In the video, the bandit leader, dressed in military fatigue flanked by two of his lieutenants, also threatened the federal government for sending Service Chiefs to Sokoto State purportedly to fight his group.
Turji was reacting to an order by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, ordering the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff CDS) General Christopher Musa and other top military officials to relocate to the state as a result of renewed insurgency in the North West region, while Musa had also declared the military’s readiness to lead an onslaught against Turji and other bandits.
Speaking in Hausa language,Turji said, among other things:“If they were afraid of dying, we wouldn’t have taken up arms in the first place, stop sending Service Chiefs after us.
“We are not afraid of death. We are waiting for you to come after us. You have been killing our Fulani brothers and no one is doing anything about it. You have been sending soldiers and police after us but we are ready for you now.
“We have not heard Nigerian soldiers attack any community in Zamfara State because a Fulani man was killed. But if an Hausa man is killed, soldiers will go to the community and set it on fire.
“You kill our brothers and sisters and no one is talking about it. You give our brothers who are living in cities money and they keep quiet about what is happening.
You kill and steal our cattle and you want us to keep quiet?
“Now that we have weapons, walahi whatever you do, we will not stop fighting you unless you stop killing our brothers before we can sit down for dialogue.
That is the only condition.”
He also had strong words for farmers.
“You farmers, let me warn you, since you have been reporting us to the army, let me tell you, your crops that you have planted this season are not yours.
Your farmlands belong to us now.”
