Fresh panic has gripped border communities in eastern Sokoto State following intelligence reports that loyalists of notorious bandit kingpin Bello Turji are undergoing intensive military-style training along the Sokoto-Zamfara border corridor.
According to a report obtained by The News Chronicle on Sunday, June 21, 2026, the fighters are reportedly conducting weapons drills and tactical exercises across Bingabale Kudu, Bafarawa East, and Bargaja.
The findings were disclosed by Basharu Altine, Sokoto State Coordinator of the Movement for Social Justice and Good Governance, in a newly released intelligence report.
Altine alleged that the group is being trained on sophisticated weapons and newly acquired equipment, including advanced night-vision devices recently delivered to their camps. He identified key figures overseeing the exercises as Illa Manawa and Turji’s younger brother, Dodo.
According to the report, foreign insurgent elements with advanced combat experience may have embedded trainers within the camps to strengthen the operational capabilities of Turji’s faction.
The report also named suspected bandit commanders Haru Dole and Ibrahim Chimo as facilitators of recent arms deliveries and accused them of forging a strategic alliance with Turji.
Warning of an imminent threat, Altine said intelligence sources fear that coordinated attacks could be launched against some local government headquarters before the peak of the rainy season.
He explained that the alliance forms part of a broader strategy aimed at expanding the group’s influence and control across eastern Sokoto State.
Altine urged Nigerian security agencies to verify the intelligence, intensify surveillance, and take proactive measures to prevent what he described as a potential humanitarian disaster.
As of the time of filing this report, security authorities had yet to issue an official statement regarding the claims.
