The Nigerian Army has confirmed the death of Bello Turji, a notorious terrorist commander, following a precision airstrike in Sokoto State as part of Operation Fajing Yamma. The air raid, conducted near Tunfa Primary School in Isa Local Government Area, also killed a key militant known as Alku, who reportedly crossed into Nigeria from Niger Republic for a high-level meeting. According to military sources, the strike eliminated multiple armed fighters and yet-to-be-identified commanders, dealing a significant blow to terror operations in northwestern Nigeria, a region plagued by banditry, cross-border raids, and extremist violence.
Bello Turji had long been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for his role in orchestrating mass kidnappings, rural massacres, and attacks on security forces. His death is seen as a major breakthrough in the military’s ongoing campaign to dismantle militant groups operating in the region. Security analysts have also raised alarms over the emergence of a jihadist offshoot known as Lakurawa, described as unaffiliated with al-Qaeda or ISIS but increasingly bold in its tactics. The group’s growing influence has further destabilized Sokoto and neighboring Zamfara and Katsina States.
The Nigerian Armed Forces stressed that the strike was part of a larger counterinsurgency strategy involving coordinated air and ground operations aimed at restoring peace, protecting civilian populations, and securing porous border zones. The Defense Headquarters has pledged continued surveillance and targeted strikes to neutralize high-value terrorist figures and disrupt recruitment and logistics networks across Nigeria’s troubled northwest.
