The Nigerian Army appears to be closing in on notorious bandit commander, Bello Turji, who has been terrorising Sokoto State and its environs. This follows the killing of one his allies, Kachalla Kallamu.

Daily Trust gathered that troops of the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army killed the notorious bandit commander, Kachalla Kallamu, during a major offensive operation in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

A reliable military source, who confirmed the development on Wednesday, said the operation was carried out in collaboration with local vigilante groups in the early hours of Monday around Kurawa village. The troops also eliminated one of the major logistics suppliers to the terror kingpin, Bello Turji, it was gathered.

Kallamu, originally from Garin-Idi in Sabon Birni, had long been a major terror figure in the eastern axis of Sokoto, contributing to years of killings, kidnappings, extortion and attacks on farming communities.

He was believed to have returned to the area recently after fleeing a military onslaught in June 2025, during which he reportedly sought refuge in Kogi State.

Bello Turji: A decade of bloodshed in Zamfara, Sokoto

For more than a decade, Bello Turji has been one of the most feared names in Nigeria’s North West. From Shinkafi in Zamfara to Sabon Birni in Sokoto, his gang has been accused of massacres, kidnappings, extortion, and the displacement of thousands.

In December 2021, Law & Society Magazine reported how Turji’s men ambushed travellers in Sokoto, blocking highways and setting vehicles ablaze. Dozens were killed in Sabon Birni Local Government Area, with survivors recounting how entire communities such as Garki and Gangara were left in ruins.

The following month, January 2022, Premium Times documented what became Turji’s most infamous atrocity: the Zamfara massacre. Villages in Anka and Bukkuyum LGAs — including Rafin Danya, Barayar Zaki, and Kurfa Danya — were attacked in coordinated assaults. Nearly 200 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed. The paper described it as “one of the deadliest bandit attacks in Nigeria’s history.”

Throughout 2022, Turji’s grip tightened. There were reports that 5,000 residents fled Sokoto communities under his orders. Farmers across Shinkafi and Zurmi in Zamfara were forced to pay levies before planting or harvesting.

In 2023, Turji briefly entered peace talks with clerics. Premium Times reported that he released captives in Shinkafi, Zamfara, but attacks continued in Isa and Sabon Birni LGAs of Sokoto. Analysts described the move as a tactical pause rather than genuine reconciliation.

By 2024, Turji was again making headlines. He was quoted as threatening to make 2025 “deadly” for residents of Zamfara and Sokoto. Communities in Shinkafi and Sabon Birni reported renewed attacks.

It would be recalled that the current Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, while serving as Chief of Defence Staff, repeatedly vowed that Turji’s “days are numbered.” Speaking earlier in 2025, Musa assured Nigerians that the armed forces were closing in on the bandit leader. “We will get him. His days are numbered,” Musa said. On September 11, 2024, after a meeting of security chiefs in Abuja, Musa declared: “We will get him.

His days are numbered.” He repeated the vow on September 23, 2024, at the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 38th Regular Course anniversary dinner in Kaduna. “We are tracking down Bello Turji. It is just a matter of time before we get him. He has nowhere to hide,” Musa said.

But Turji has not been arrested. Analysts express hope that the minister will make good that promise this time around.

Who was Kachalla Kallamu? Impact of his death

Security expert and researcher, Prof. Murtala Ahmed Rufa’i, while speaking with Daily Trust yesterday, described the slain commander as a Tuareg — locally known as Buzu — whose parents migrated from Niger Republic to Sabon Birni in 1972, during a severe drought.

Kallamu, whose real name is Musa, was loyal to a chain of Tuareg warlords, including Kachalla Sa’idu Malam and the late Kachalla Umaru Nagona. Though widely called Kachalla, he was considered a fifth-generation bandit commander, making him junior to more established kingpins such as Turji and Sa’idu Malam.

He is believed to have controlled about 100 armed fighters, specialising in kidnapping for ransom and terrorising communities across Isa, Sabon Birni, Shinkafi, and Goronyo LGAs, with operational reach extending into parts of Zamfara and across the Niger Republic border.

His strongest base was the Dogon Zango forest, from where he coordinated attacks on communities such as Zangon Malam, Gangara, and Mai Lalle.

He was also among the commanders present during the horrific December 2021 attack in which a bus carrying women and traders was set ablaze on Turji’s orders.

Prof. Rufa’i, who is the author of the book, “I am a bandit”, stressed that the killing of Kallamu — alongside his deputy, the dreaded Halliru — has caused “serious confusion” within Turji’s network.

“This is a very good development for the Nigerian military. The bandits are currently disorganised, and this is the best time to strike at their Dogon Zango camp before they appoint another leader,” he said.

He, however, warned that while Turji may feel the impact, his broader operations may not be significantly disrupted since Kallamu was not among his top lieutenants.

Kallamu reportedly answered to Sa’idu Malam (Sa’idu Buzu), Turji’s second-in-command and in-law.

@Daily Trust