SHINKAFI, ZAMFARA— A deadly confrontation between foot soldiers loyal to notorious bandit leader Bello Turji and local volunteer security forces has left more than 100 people feared dead near Cida village in Shinkafi Local Government Area.
Residents say the confrontation, which unfolded on Monday, began when members of the Zamfara Civilian Protection Guard (CPG), aided by Borno State’s Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), launched an unsanctioned offensive to capture Turji, dead or alive. The mission was allegedly spearheaded by a repentant bandit, Bashari Meniyo.
Daily Episode gathered that an eyewitness, Sa’idu Garba, said the volunteer force moved without notifying official security agencies. “They mobilised under Bashari Meniyo’s command and went directly to Turji’s camp,” he told The Punch. “But Turji received intelligence ahead of their arrival and quickly rallied more than a thousand of his fighters.”
What followed was a brutal firefight that lasted several hours. “Gunshots echoed across the villages,” said another resident, Mohammed Sani, who described how terrified villagers fled their homes. “People ran in every direction. We were all scared for our lives.”
Among those killed in the violence was Meniyo himself, along with at least 20 members of his group, according to local sources.
“If the military had responded quickly, maybe Turji would have been captured or killed,” said Garba, expressing deep frustration over what he called a lack of official response.
Efforts to contact security authorities proved futile. Calls and text messages to military spokesperson Lt. Col. Suleiman Omale went unanswered.
Meanwhile, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications to Governor Dauda Lawal, Mustafa Kaura, acknowledged the incident but said details remain unclear. “I can confirm the clash happened, but I don’t yet have the actual number of casualties,” he stated. “Investigations are ongoing.”
The attack adds to the growing insecurity in Zamfara, where local communities often rely on volunteer guards for protection amid the ongoing banditry crisis. For villagers in Cida and surrounding areas, the recent violence has reignited fear and uncertainty.
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