After one month, notorious bandit, Bello Turji, still eludes Nigeria’s CDS, Musa, who vowed to arrest him

It is exactly one month today after Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Chris Musa, boasted that it was just a matter of time before notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, is either arrested or terminated.

Ripples Nigeria reports that Gen. Musa had, on February 10th, during a press conference in Abuja, vowed that the Nigerian military would soon eliminate the most feared bandit leader in the North-West who has been responsible for orchestrating numerous attacks and killing of hundreds of residents of Zamfara State.

“On the issue of Turji, like I said, he is just a deranged individual who feels power, but I can bet you that it’s just a matter of time.

“It is a matter of time, we’re going to get him, and I can assure you that it will be within the shortest possible time”, the defence chief had said.

However, one month after the assurance of getting Turji, the bandit kingpin is still roaming free and making a mockery of Nigeria’s security apparatus.

Instead of being the hunted, the terrorist has however, turned out to be a thorn in the flesh of the Nigerian military forces, making videos as well as taunting security personnel, daring them to come after him.

The inability of the military forces to pin him down has even emboldened Turji into calling out Musa, daring him to supply more sophisticated weapons to soldiers to come and fight with his gang, boasting that he can match the Nigerian Army gun for gun.

READ ALSO: Notorious bandit, Bello Turji, others still running loose two weeks after CDS Musa vowed to get him

In one of his videos, Turji introduced a giveaway to his followers while displaying wads of naira notes he must have gotten as ransom from his kidnapped victims.

In another video, the dreaded bandit, dressed in full military fatigue and brandishing sophisticated weapons, boldly called out the Army Chief by his first name and charged him to get all the weapons in the military arsenal and come after him.

In yet another video, the bandit kingpin taunted the Nigerian government and security operatives, asking them when the chase for him would commence. He then asked rhetorically whether they were scared of him.

As it stands, it seems Turji has demystified the Nigerian military, especially the CDS, Gen. Musa, as he has been elusive since he was declared a persona non-grata and the most wanted bandit in the country.

Over time, banditry and terrorism have come to take a foothold on Nigeria’s territory. Try as they may, the security forces have not found a solution to the twin menace. Terror gangs, bandits and kidnappers have seized whole communities and local government areas extorting taxes from poor residents who are mostly farmers and fishermen.

The activities of the criminals have led to many farmers abandoning their trade, and deserting their homelands and farms, thus excavating the food crisis in the country. Many who have braved the odd to still go to the farms are made to pay huge taxes to the bandits, or are kidnapped and their families made to pay huge ransom for their release.
Gen Musa’s vow to apprehend Turji and his gang is turning out to be another example of how government officials and public servants continue to mouth promises, while the citizenry continue to suffer.

As the RipplesCount continues Nigerians and indeed the world is watching to see how long it will take the CDS, and by extension the Nigerian military to put an end to the criminal activities of the notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji and his kind.

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