Bello Turji, the notorious bandit kingpin, who recently survived a U.S.-led military strike that targeted his network, in December, has launched a fresh violent offensive to seize control of several communities in Sokoto State’s eastern district.
Turji, who is has been terrorising large parts of Sokoto and Zamfara States, is said to have survived the December 2025 U.S. airstrikes on parts of Sokoto State, sustaining only a slit injury, according to sources familiar with the aftermath of the operation.
The renewed campaign, security sources hinted began on Monday night with a brutal raid on Tidibale village in Isa Local Government Area, where Turji’s fighters stormed the community, forcing residents to flee amid sustained gunfire.
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The sources said that the attack seems to form part of a broader push by the bandit leader to reassert dominance over communities in the Isa axis, following heavy losses suffered by his fighters in the December strike.
The U.S.-led strikes, carried out in collaboration with Nigerian authorities, reportedly killed at least 155 fighters belonging to the Lakurawa armed group, while about 200 others were declared missing in the days that followed.
The operation allegedly involved Tomahawk missiles launched from a U.S. Navy destroyer stationed in the Gulf of Guinea, which struck three districts in Sokoto State — Isa, Tangaza and Tambuwal. Of the three, Tangaza is widely regarded as a core Lakurawa stronghold.
While Tambuwal is not commonly associated with organised armed violence, Isa is considered a major bandit enclave largely under Bello Turji’s influence. Although details of the strike on Isa remain unclear, multiple sources confirm that Turji survived the bombardment, escaping with a minor slit injury.
The heaviest casualties were recorded at a Lakurawa camp in Tangaza, where two missiles reportedly struck in quick succession. According to The New Humanitarian, the first missile killed about 30 fighters. As survivors regrouped to assess the damage and assist the wounded, a second missile hit the same location, killing many who had assembled.
In total, an estimated 155 Lakurawa fighters were killed, including 19 wounded fighters who later died from their injuries. A senior Lakurawa commander, Dando Sibu, reportedly survived after leaving the camp less than five minutes before the second missile strike.
Despite the scale of the losses — including the destruction of nearly half of the group’s cattle, a key source of revenue — Lakurawa fighters remained operational. On 31 December, the group launched a major attack on Birnin Yauri in Kebbi State, which lasted several hours and left at least 21 civilians dead, with nine reportedly beheaded.
The latest raid on Tidibale suggests that Bello Turji’s survival has emboldened him to resume coordinated attacks, particularly in Isa LGA, which security analysts describe as central to his operational strategy.
Sources say the U.S. operation was focused specifically on Lakurawa and did not target other jihadist groups operating in the region, including Boko Haram and the al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru faction. Investigations into the full impact of the strikes are ongoing, as more details continue to emerge from affected communities.
