Soldiers, hunters engage terrorist kingpin, Bello Turji’s Men in gun battle – Crime Channels
Soldiers, hunters engage terrorist kingpin, Bello Turji’s Men in gun battle
A fierce gun battle erupted early this morning in Gatawa, a town in Sokoto State’s Sabon Birni Local Government Area, as soldiers and local hunters clashed with the notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji.
Sources from the area, speaking on condition of anonymity, with Daily Trust, revealed that the fighting started around 6 a.m.
According to one source, the bandits had attempted to infiltrate the town, but a coordinated defense by the military and community hunters thwarted their entry, sparking a violent confrontation.
The situation remains tense as both sides continue to exchange fire.
One of the source said: “We are suspecting that Bello Turji is personally leading the fight. Fire exchange started around 6am and up till this time (2:45pm) that I am speaking with you, the fight is still on. The two sides are still exchanging fire.
“We are in serious shock because no one knows what will happen in the next few hours. The town is quiet; no movement. No one is coming in or going out of the town at present.
“No one can give you details of what transpired between the soldiers and bandits for now. We can only have details of the encounter when the fight is over.
“We are hoping the soldiers will at the end defeat the bandits. Our prayers are that Bello Turji should be among those to be killed during the fight.”
Another source also said, “This is the most terrible encounter between the soldiers and bandits we witnessed in this area. We have never seen such a battle in this town before. We hope this will be the end of Bello Turji.
“Our hope is that more soldiers will be deployed to the area to support those on ground. I am sure the bandits will also call for reinforcement from their colleagues.”
