Crime has a unique way of offering criminal elements a place of undue fame. This was the case of Bello Turji Kachalla. Before now he was a complete nonentity. One who dwells in a dark slum of obscurity devoid of any meaning. The name never rang bell in the public space. One can confirm that he is a stark illiterate, an itinerant timid cattle rearer. He has lived all his entire life in the bush and arid forest of the sahel, drinking anything water, eating any available shrubs, wild fruits and tending to animals. Until recently, he emerged a notorious, dare devil, vamparic-bandit-terrorist leader; killing, maiming, raping women and terrorising Shinkafi Local Government axis of Zamfara State.
He kidnaps for ransom, kill at will anyone who fails to meet his monetary and other obtuse material demands or standing on his way to infamy. Reports have it that, Turji is one dangerous Kidnap Kingpin and a murderer with gusto and passion for spilling the blood of innocent citizens. His gang of heartless followers come in large numbers and are said to be armed to the teeth. He has carved a territory for himself and his words are laws. It is said that he was among the top notch daring terrorists gang leaders visited by Sheik Gumi during his advocacy for blanket amnesty for bandits. He was credited recently for leading a group of murderers who burnt over forty travellers from Shinkafi to Isa in Sokoto State. The death of the travellers sparked public oprobium. This heartless isolated case of burning human beings alive and many others led to #securethenorth, #northisbleeding protests.
Turji came to criminal spot light just after a notorious gang leader Auwalu Daudawa the mastermind of Kankara School Kidnap who claimed to have repented and surrendered arms to Zamfara government in a celebrated case violated the deal and went back into the forest to ply his illegitimate trade. He eventually died afterwards. Turji’s major dare-devil exploits include ruthless murder of innocent people, he sacked many villages and stopped functional markets, seizes food items. Schools are closed for his sake. He deposes village heads and appoints his. He levies taxes on communities. Turji is a societal menace. A killer who deserve full measures of his own devilish antics and preoccupation.
The governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal in the wake of the burning incident could not hide his hopelessness and helplessness in the face of a rampaging monster devouring the people at will and destroying the entire state and the north in general. He visited President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja and demanded for a declaration of state of emergency on security in Sokoto. Receiving a fact-finding team of Federal security and intelligence chiefs led by National Security Adviser Major General Babagana Monguno in Sokoto, the governor confirmed that part of his constitutional mandate to rule over Sokoto State has been ceded to Bello Turji. Tambuwal said “parts of this state are in the appalling grip of bandits and kidnappers, marauding and scaring the populace in recent times.” He said attacks and kidnappings now take place “in broad daylight in some parts of Isa, Sabon Birni, Tangaza, Illela and several other local government areas.” Like every other state in Nigeria Sokoto has had its fair share in the hands of terrorist bandit attacks for some years now, the governor informed the Federal delegation that; “this situation is exacerbated by the influx of bandits and criminals displaced by the defective maneuvers of security personnel deployed under Operation Hadarin Daji in neighboring Zamfara State. He pointed out that the operation “was carried out without any blocking force around Sokoto State.” Before then in an emergency address to the good people of Sokoto, the governor literally blamed the security agencies for allowing fleeing bandits easy way to infiltrate Sokoto.
Recently a letter written in Hausa language trending on the social media credited to Bello Turji Kachalla was said to have been addressed to President Buhari, Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State through the Emir of Shinkafi. Some of the highlights of the letter include stating that insecurity in the land is our collective albatross. Therefore, he advised government to play its part to end the menace. Turji called for the disbandment of civil groups bearing arms arguing that only security agencies should. He threatened that they will not lay down arms if others were allowed to treat fulani the way they do. The killer called for talks among the terrorists, politicians, traditional rulers and Imams to chat a way forward. He suggested that Sheik Gumi should be at the meeting for his understanding, sympathy and preachings to them. He conceded to the fact that they are not at war with the nation and showed their willingness to return to their normal life. Promising that if that is done, he will personally lead in the seizure of weapons and weaponry from other terrorist. Tell Bello Turji that there is no time for negotiation with blood-sucking-barbarians of his ilk. It is time to speak the language he understands.
The said letter was an audacious demand for a truce from an unrepentant murderer and Kidnap Kingpin. Indeed, these kidnappers have balls! With the atrocities committed against the state and humanity, they still feel they have choices to make and demands to place on the table for peace to return. The demands he made were not only myopic, tribalistic but nepotistic. They appear to be the same old rehashed rhetorics borrowed from Sheik Gumi and Miyetti Allah Katul Hore on the alleged maltreatment of fulani people. What do these people take Nigerians both the leaders and the led for? Charlatans? The position of these terrorists who always link their crimes with fulani maginalisation is currently gaining notorious ground as the position of the entire fulani tribe. It is more compelling as nobody or group of fulani extraction disagrees with their position.
The seeming olive branch from a killer gang leader should be approached with caution. At a time Governor Bello Matawalle freely offered repentant terrorists amnesty, he totally ignored the opportunity. Therefore, he should not be trusted. Rather, the armed forces should exert more pressure of heat on him; arrest or neutralise him instantly. It seems to discerning minds that he is losing so much grounds, hence the letter. To bring to a definite end the reign of terror of Bello Turji and others who constituted societal nuisance, kill, and carved territories for themselves should be our utmost priority. Suffer not a witch to live. Turji who happily supervises killings by the sword should die by the sword too. What we expect now is his head on a platter.
Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, a Media and Communication Specialist, wrote via sunnyeze02@yhaoo.com and could be reached on 08060901201
