Fresh intelligence reports have raised fresh security concerns in eastern Sokoto State following claims that fighters loyal to notorious bandit leader Bello Turji are undergoing weapons training and tactical drills in communities along the Sokoto-Zamfara border.
The report, released by the Sokoto State Coordinator of the Movement for Social Justice and Good Governance, Basharu Altine, alleged that the activities are taking place in areas stretching from Bingabale Kudu through Bafarawa East to Bargaja.
According to Altine, intelligence available to the organisation suggests that Turji’s fighters are receiving training on the use of sophisticated weapons recently brought into the region.
The report alleged that some of Turji’s close associates, including Illa Manawa and Dodo, believed to be the bandit leader’s younger brother, are coordinating the exercise.
It further claimed that a fresh cache of weapons was delivered to the camps alongside newly recruited fighters suspected to have links with insurgent groups.
Altine said some of the new arrivals reportedly possess advanced combat and weapons-handling skills and have been deployed to strengthen and train Turji’s fighters operating across border communities in Sokoto and Zamfara states.
The report also alleged that night-vision devices recently acquired by Turji were among the equipment supplied to the camps, potentially enhancing the group’s operational capabilities.
Additionally, two suspected bandit commanders, identified as Haru Dole and Ibrahim Chimo, were linked in the report to the alleged procurement and movement of the weapons.
Altine warned that the reported influx of fighters and weapons could heighten insecurity in eastern Sokoto, citing intelligence that suggested possible plans to expand the group’s operations across vulnerable communities in the region.
He called on security agencies to intensify surveillance, verify the intelligence and take proactive steps to prevent any potential attacks.
As of the time of filing this report, security authorities had not issued any official statement on the allegations, while the claims contained in the intelligence report remain independently unverified.
