- Baleri Fakai was a close ally of notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji
Joint security forces have eliminated a notorious bandit kingpin Baleri Fakai, along with 30 of his associates, during a coordinated operation in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
According to security intelligence outfit, Eons Intelligence, Fakai, a key leader and close ally of the infamous bandit Bello Turji, had been involved in numerous violent activities across the region.
The operation is part of ongoing efforts by security forces to combat banditry and restore peace in the troubled northwestern state.
Earlier in May 2024, reports surfaced of the arrest of the notorious bandit leader Fakai by Niger Republic forces but it turned out it was another notorious bandit kingpin, Kachalla Baleri, a different person from the Nigeria-based notorious Baleri Fakai.
And in a viral video then, Baleri Fakai and Bello Turji ridiculed the claims. In the video, the duo, flanked by their followers, with rifles slung over their shoulders, Turji boasts: “They said they caught and killed Baleri… here he is!”
Baleri adds, “Only God can bring an end to my life.”
In the 1.29min video, Turji accuses the governments of Niger Republic and Nigeria of capturing and killing innocent citizens, labeling the claims as “shameful information.” He demands the release of “poor people” detained as bandits, stating they are merely herders and farmers.
