Dozens Feared Dead as Bello Turji’s Fighters Clash With Zamfara Civilian Guards

A bloody confrontation between foot soldiers loyal to the notorious bandit Bello Turji and members of the Zamfara Civilian Protection Guard (CPG) has reportedly left over 100 people dead near Cida village in Shinkafi Local Government Area on Monday.

According to Sa’idu Garba, a resident of the area who spoke with PUNCH, the CPG — backed by the Borno State Civilian Joint Task Force — launched a surprise offensive on Turji’s camp, aiming to capture the infamous warlord either dead or alive. The operation was allegedly spearheaded by a repentant bandit, Bashari Meniyo.

“They organised themselves under the leadership of a repentant bandit, Bashari Meniyo, and stormed Turji’s camp without notifying security agencies,” Garba revealed.

However, Turji reportedly received intelligence about the attack and quickly mobilised his fighters, numbering over 1,000, in preparation for the confrontation.

Garba said the clash turned into an intense and prolonged gun battle that raged for hours — without any intervention from security forces.

“There was heavy fighting between both groups that lasted for several hours. Sadly, there was no response from the security agents throughout,” he lamented.

Garba confirmed that while Turji narrowly escaped, over 100 of his fighters were killed in the crossfire.

“Though Turji managed to escape, more than 100 of his men were killed during the shootout,” he said.

He also disclosed that more than 20 CPG members, including their leader Bashari Meniyo, were killed in the attack.

“Bashari Meniyo and several members of his team lost their lives in the battle,” Garba added.

He expressed deep frustration at the absence of military support during the confrontation. “Had the security agents responded promptly, Turji could have been eliminated,” he said.

Another resident, Mohammed Sani, recounted the chaos in his village as the fighting erupted.

“I heard heavy gunfire during the clash. The entire village went into panic — people fled in all directions to avoid being caught in the crossfire,” he said.

Attempts to contact the military spokesperson, Lt. Col. Suleiman Omale, were unsuccessful, as his phone was switched off and he failed to respond to messages.

Meanwhile, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications to Governor Dauda Lawal, Mustafa Kaura, confirmed the incident but said the exact number of casualties had yet to be determined.

“I need to verify the actual number of casualties among the civilian protection guards. I can’t comment further until the investigation is concluded,” Kaura stated.

Punch

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