Bandit claims attacks on security operatives in video

A new video attributed to notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has surfaced, claiming responsibility for recent attacks in Nigeria's northwestern Sokoto and Zamfara states. The masked speaker, appearing alongside armed men in military-style camouflage, delivered the message in Hausa on June 20, asserting his group's involvement in assaults against security operatives and civilians.

The speaker accused unspecified individuals of seizing livestock and killing members of their communities, specifically mentioning areas like Shinkafi in Zamfara and Sabon Birni in Sokoto. "Allah granted us victory over these people who are carrying out these operations and driving away our livestock. We killed them," the speaker declared, though no specific casualty figures or details of the alleged attacks were provided. The claims suggest the group ambushed security personnel and confronted those involved in cattle rustling.

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Some people who are chasing away our livestock are killing our innocent brothers and sisters.

Security analysts suggest the video serves as propaganda, intended to project strength and boost morale among fighters at a time when security agencies have intensified operations against armed groups in the region. Mr. Turji has a history of using video and audio messages for communication, threats, and responses to military actions.

The emergence of this video is particularly significant as it coincides with renewed military operations and official assurances of degrading top bandit commanders. The recording also appears designed to frame the group's violence as retaliation against alleged attacks on pastoral communities and livestock seizure, a narrative often employed by armed groups to justify their actions and garner sympathy. This comes against a backdrop of worsening insecurity across Nigeria's North-west, marked by killings, kidnappings, and mass displacement.

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Allah granted us victory over these people who are carrying out these operations and driving away our livestock. We killed them.