–criticises Tinubu’s foreign trip amidst unprecedented insecurity in his country
For many months, the most notorious terrorists mastermind Turji Bello and several other terrorists have defied the deadline given by the service chiefs including the Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa and the chief of Army staff Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede to neutralise them or capture them and bring their reigns of bloodshed and destruction of lives and property of citizens to an end.
Amid what seemed like a spectacular failure by the Nigerian Service Chiefs and the National Security Adviser to achieve these targets of neutralising Turji Bello, the civil society organisation, HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has asked the Service Chiefs including the Chief of Defence Staff, the Inspector General of Police and the National Security Adviser to acknowledge publicly that they have collectively disappointed the nation by not effectively neutralising or arresting Turji Bello and other notorious terrorists and then bow out of their juicy offices since the wages of failure to actualise a mandate is honourable exit.
HURIWA also expressed shock and consternation that the Nigerian leader who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces of Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinubu jetted off to France, Europe at a time that terrorists in their hundreds are staging religious ceremonies to commemorate the end of the year 2025 Ramadan fast and the Sallah. “Travelling to France on what the President calls ‘brief working visit’ makes no logical, tactical and good reputational sense because what will our president tell the French journalists if he is confronted with the viral videos of terrorists holding religious and social ceremonies in Nigeria whereby his primary constitutional duty is to provide security to the lives and property of Nigerians and to guarantee the welfare and well-being of the citizenry?”
HURIWA stated that it is extremely disappointing that several months since the Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa categorically assured Nigerians that the reign of the notorious terrorists leader, Bello Turji would come to an end, the terror mastermind has rather reportedly hosted a grand Eid celebration in Magira, located in Isa Local Government Area (LGA) of Sokoto State, before leading an attack in Fadamar Lugu, where he and his gang killed 12 people and left one person injured on Tuesday.
The Rights group recalled that even 4 months back on December 31st 2024, the Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa appeared on a popular prime time network programme on Channels television and assured Nigerians for the umpteenth time that Turji Bello would be captured and that most of his affiliates have been neutralised. In February of this year, the CDS also told Nigerians that the terror mastermind Turji Bello is asking to surrender. HURIWA then wondered how come the terrorists leader is now holding open religious ceremony and even moving to another town whereby he killed 12 innocent members of the community just for fun.
HURIWA quoted security analyst Bakatsine as disclosing the incident in a post on 𝕏 on Wednesday, revealing that Turji’s gathering in Magira was attended by fellow bandits from Zamfara State.
Following the festivities, the group proceeded to Fadamar Lugu, where they launched a brutal assault on innocent residents.
“Bandit leader Bello Turji hosted an Eid celebration in Magira, Isa LGA, with bandits from Zamfara State. After the feast, he moved to Fadamar Lugu in Isa LGA, Sokoto State, killing 12 people & injuring one person just for fun,”Bakatsine wrote.
Turji, one of Nigeria’s most wanted criminals, has been linked to numerous violent crimes, including mass killings, kidnappings, and raids across Sokoto and Zamfara States.
HURIWA recalled that in a separate but alarming development, armed bandits operating in different parts of the country were seen on video performing Eid prayers at the conclusion of the 2025 Ramadan fast.
Counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama shared the footage on 𝕏 on Tuesday, April 1, revealing that the armed groups conducted prayers in two locations within Kaduna State.
Naijaonpoint understands that the prayers took place in Maidaro, Sabon Birni, and East Kaduna, deep within Dogon Dawa Forest.
The video footage reportedly showed the bandits armed with sophisticated weapons, including guns, drones, and mobile phones.
HURIWA said for the fact that the Defence Chiefs including the Chief of Army staff Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede publicly gave timelines to definitely bring Turji Bello to justice or take justice to him and his many affiliates, the notorious terrorists leader Turji Bello has remained elusive and the Nigeria Army which is the largest in Africa has failed for half a year to capture just one terrorism kingpin just as the security forces are overwhelmed by sporadic terrorists attacks all across the Country.
HURIWA recalled for ibstance that a tragic incident had unfolded in Delta State, where a man, Godwin Anuka, was brutally killed by suspected Fulani herders after being kidnapped alongside his wife and two children in the Ubulu-Uku area.
The shocking development was revealed by Harrison Gwamnishu, the Senior Special Assistant on Civil Society and Youth Mobilisation to the Delta State Governor, in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
According to Gwamnishu, the kidnappers had abducted two individuals on March 23, taking them into the bush while demanding ransom. However, in a heartbreaking turn of events, Anuka was murdered in the presence of his wife and children.
He noted that while the kidnappers were hiding in the bush with the two abducted victims, they saw Anuka alongside his wife and two underage children working on their farm.
HURIWA said it is worrisome that top flight security chiefs would publicly vow to acieve an objective and when they fail, they simply pretend like they did not publicly make any affirmation to neutralise Turji Bello. “They told us about 6 months back that Turji Bello’s threats to attack communities in Zamfara and Sokoto state was the last kick of a dying horse and that his end is imminent. Six months later, TURJI BELLO is not only operating unhindered but he is killing civilians for fun and staging religious ceremonies covered by his affiliates who are deploying modern technology such as drones and sophisticated phones to record videos of the events and distributing to social media platforms. This should be the reason for the failed service chiefs to take the most honourable step and resign forthwith so fresh service chiefs can be entrusted with the job of achieving the war on terror within specified time frame.”
Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko
National Coordinator,
HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA),
April 3rd 2025.
