Bello Turji Kachalla, born in 1994 in Shinkafi, Zamfara State, remains one of Nigeria's most wanted and feared bandit leaders as of mid-2026. Operating across Zamfara and Sokoto states, he has been implicated in mass kidnappings, extortion, and massacres for nearly a decade, and is reportedly rearming and allegedly collaborating with Boko Haram.
Profile and Early Life
Turji, also known as Bello Gudde and Muhammad Bello, was raised in pastoral Fulani settlements in Shinkafi, Zamfara State. He became a champion among Fulani youths due to his hostility toward groups he believed looked down on the Fulani and their cattle. He was raised as a cattle herder without formal education.
Turji has claimed that a local vigilante group, the Ƴan Sakai, killed six of his siblings and stole their cattle. He said that when his father sought justice from the Emir of Zurmi, he was ignored, and another relative was later killed, pushing him to take up arms.
Crimes and Attacks
Turji's most internationally condemned act remains the 2022 Zamfara massacres, which killed nearly 200 people, including women and children. In December 2021, his forces attacked a bus in Sabon Birni, setting it on fire and killing 30 passengers. In October 2021, his men attacked the Goronyo market in Sokoto, killing over 50 people. On 2 April 2025, his group killed 11 farmers in Sokoto. In May 2025, his men forcibly evicted thousands in Sokoto State. In February 2025, he fined Sokoto communities N22 million over a slain bandit.
Military Operations and Peace Talks
The Nigerian military has mounted sustained pressure on Turji's network. In April 2025, Major General Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, issued an unusually blunt warning at a Defence Headquarters briefing in Abuja. The Defence Headquarters confirmed that troops of Operation Fansan Yamma neutralised Turji's son and several of his fighters, but Turji himself remained elusive.
In August 2025, Turji reportedly confirmed readiness to abandon violence, with counter-terrorism expert Zagazola Makama describing it as a critical turning point. However, the military dismissed reports of his surrender. In December 2025, Turji denied allegations that he received N30 million and vehicles from the Zamfara State Government during past peace negotiations.
Where Is Bello Turji Now?
In late December 2025, misinformation spread online claiming Turji had been killed by a U.S. airstrike. Security analyst Zagazola Makama debunked this, stating Turji remained alive and sought refuge in Dubagale, north of Dan Adama village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, approximately 25 kilometres from the Niger Republic border. The U.S. airstrikes, aimed at Islamic State-linked fighters, involved Tomahawk missiles launched from a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Gulf of Guinea, striking Isa, Tangaza, and Tambuwal districts in Sokoto State.
In January 2026, Turji launched a fresh violent offensive to seize control of several communities in Sokoto State's eastern district. By June 2026, he was reportedly rearming and conducting large-scale weapons training. On 20 June 2026, he released a video celebrating the killing of soldiers after terrorists attacked the Bargaja community in the Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State. He claimed responsibility for deadly attacks on troops and declared his group ready for either peace talks or prolonged war.
Link to Boko Haram and the Wider Crisis
Turji has strongly denied relations with Boko Haram, insisting his goals are unrelated to religion. However, by mid-2026, multiple security reports alleged collaboration with Boko Haram. The wider crisis in Nigeria's North-West, spanning Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, and Jigawa, remains the epicentre of the country's banditry crisis. As recently as July 2026, at least 20 people were killed in Zamfara State after armed gang members attacked villages.
Net worth estimates for Turji are unverified, with one estimate at approximately $500,000 derived from ransoms, but no mainstream financial outlet has published a credible figure.
