A report has debunked claims making the rounds that notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, was killed in a United States airstrike in Sokoto State.
The report by security analyst Zagazola on Sunday, December 28, 2025, said Turji is alive and currently taking refuge at Dubagale, north of Dan Adama village, in the Sabon Birni area of Sokoto State, about 25 kilometres from the border with the Niger Republic.
The report stated that Turji was not killed in any airstrike, adding that the bandit leader is alive and has relocated to Dubagale.
It noted that the viral claims were likely fueled by misinformation and recycled narratives surrounding intensified counter-banditry operations in parts of north-western Nigeria.
Turji, a long-wanted bandit leader operating mainly in Zamfara and neighbouring states, has been linked to several deadly attacks, mass abductions, and large-scale displacement of communities in the region.
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