Bandits’ kingpin, Bello Turji, has fled his hideout in Zamfara State following air bombardment by the Nigerian Air Force.
The air force had sustained air strikes against the newly designated terrorists in the North-West region.

UGAMATV learnt the bandits’ leader and his men were cited fleeing their enclaves in Fakai forest in the Shinkafi Local Government Area.

A source who does not want his name mentioned said the terrorists relocated to the southern part of state and camped in Gando forest, in the Bukkuyum Local Government Area of the state.

He said, “Gando is located 35 kilometers south of Bukkuyum town, the headquarters of the Local Government Area.

“The town and adjoining villages in the area are being literally governed by the bandits.

“We saw thatched huts erected by some bandits inside the forest. They (terrorists) moved in on motorbikes with some of them walking with herds of cattle.

“A bandits’ leader known as Shehu Bayade is the spearhead of deadly raids, kidnappings and cattle rustling in communities in Anka, Bukkuyum and Gummi Local Government Areas of the state.

“We believe Turji and his boys were invited by Shehu Bayade to that forest. This is because in their own thinking, making the vast forest their abode would make their detection by NAF aircraft harder unlike where they had left.

“We are in serious trouble as a people. We are pleading with military and other security forces to extend their aggressive operations to this part of the state otherwise a safe haven for all sorts of dangerous people would be permanently created,” he said.

The spokesperson for the state police command, SP Muhammad Shehu did not answer calls to his phone for comments on the incident as of the time of filing this report.