Residents of Zurmi town in the Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State have debunked rumors that a notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, and his gang seized two Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) from the Nigerian military.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, a resident identified as Abdullahi Dogo (not his real name) clarified that the vehicles were not seized by the bandits but were found abandoned and subsequently set on fire. According to Dogo, the incident occurred last Friday in Kwasabawa village when soldiers on an operation had their APCs become stuck in a bushy area.
“The information we received indicated that the soldiers had received a tip-off about a bandit meeting deep in the forest and were on their way to confront them. Unfortunately, their APCs got stuck midway into the bush,” Dogo explained.
He further stated that initially, the soldiers, along with personnel from the Zamfara Community Protection Guards (CPG), secured the vehicles to prevent the bandits from accessing them. However, they eventually abandoned the vehicles and withdrew from the scene.
Another local resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, mentioned that if military reinforcements had arrived in time, the incident could have been averted. “The bandits did not engage the soldiers in a gunfight or seize the vehicles. They only came across the APCs after the soldiers had left,” he said. “In fact, the soldiers stayed with the APCs for nearly half an hour before they were ordered by their superiors to leave.”
A video clip featuring Bello Turji and about 30 of his men recently went viral on social media, claiming they had seized the APCs from the soldiers. In the video, the bandits are seen removing two boxes, believed to contain ammunition and other items, from the abandoned vehicles before setting them ablaze.
Mahammad Na Zurmi (not his real name), another resident of Zurmi, expressed the fear and tension that the incident has caused among the local population. He described the situation as a serious setback for both the military and the residents. “The soldiers are here to protect us. Any harm that comes to them or their equipment directly impacts their operations and, by extension, the safety of our communities,” Na Zurmi lamented.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety and effectiveness of military operations in the region, as residents fear that the destruction of military equipment may embolden the bandits.
