You can't deny us access to firearms - Notorious bandit, Turji taunts govt

Notorious bandits' leader, Bello Turji, has dared the government to block the supply of firearms to bandits and other criminal groups in Nigeria.

Turji alleged that the government hasn't been able to successfully prevent proliferation of firearms in Nigeria.

His remark was a reference to the many restrictions put in place by the Zamfara state government last year September to curb the incursion of the bandits in the state.

The bandit kingpin said this during an interview with Trust TV as part of a documentary, tagged ‘Nigeria’s Banditry: The Inside Story’.

Turji also condemned the move to prevent people of Fulani extraction from entering Shinkafi local government in Zamfara.

Turji said, “It is not right to deny Fulani entry into Shinkafi; it’s a local government for all citizens. If you deny Fulani entry, where are they supposed to go?

“If you buy just a measure of maize, they confiscate it; or if you buy a loaf of bread they will say you are buying it for Turji. Is it only Turji who eats out of all the people here?

“Let me ask you; isn’t this a gun? Is it those who failed to prevent the circulation of arms in Nigeria that will prevent us from buying petrol, which even a little kid knows where it can be obtained?”

Recall that sometime last year, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on the request of the Nigerian military, had asked telecommunication operators in the country to shut down network services in some parts of Zamfara.

This was to pave way for the military onslaught against the bandits that have been terrorising the state.

During the network blackout, the military reportedly recorded massive operational success as many bandits' leaders and their foot soldiers were killed in air bombardments and land assaults.