SUMMARY
The Forces of Bello Turji was a bandit group loyal to the bandit leader Bello Turji. The bandit group operated in northwestern Nigeria where it particularly targeted rural villages in deadly one-sided attacks.
The leader of the group, Bello Turji, is originally from the Fakai area in Shinkafi Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara state and was raised as a pastoral Fulani cattle herder. Turji was reportedly introduced to banditry when he joined a Fulani militia group, led by Buharin Daji, a known bandit leader whom later was killed by one of his lieutenants called Dogo Gide in 2018. Dogo Gide ultimately became one of the major bandit leaders in northwestern Nigeria. After having been mentored and established connections with two other significant bandit leaders in Nigeria; Shehu Rekab and Hailulu Sububu, Turji built his own network. Turji initially financed his group through cattle rustling, which enabled the acquisition of weapons. Drawing on his personal networks, he reportedly recruited young men from Fulani communities across Zamfara and Sokoto states that became his fighters.
Bello Turji has been described as being motivated by two main factors. The first relates to ethnic grievances as Turji came to portray himself as an advocate for Fulani herders, particularly among Fulani youths, and claimed to protect Fulani from their Hausa neighbors, the majority of whom are farmers. Reportedly, Turji claimed that a reason for taking up arms was the killing of several family members by the local vigilante group, Yan Sakai, which is primarily composed of Hausa farmers. Yan Sakai members were also allegedly responsible for the theft of the cattle of Turji’s father. However, some stakeholders have disputed this account. The second factor concerns financial incentives. The group frequently engaged in kidnappings for ransom, imposed community levies and illegal taxes on farmers and miners.
Over time, the Forces of Bello Turji expanded their territorial influence and came to control large areas in northwestern Nigeria. This control relied heavily on the threat of violence and was maintained through visits to rural communities where state presence is limited. Turji and his fighters reportedly warned villagers and farmers to comply with the group’s authority or risk facing deadly attacks. The group thus exercised a level of direct rule under which maintaining cooperative relations with local communities was important for securing labour, supplies and intelligence. These relationships were often based on a system of protection payments, whereby villagers and farmers provided a fee in exchange for protection from violence and kidnappings by the bandit group and the ability to continue their daily activities.
In 2025, however, an intense airstrike campaign conducted by the Nigerian government against the Forces of Bello Turji altered these dynamics. This resulted in deadly retribution attacks by Turji’s fighters against rural communities that previously had consensus with them, thus sending a signal to the Nigerian government.
Estimates of the number of fighters under Turji's command range from approximately 200 to several hundred. Regardless of the precise figure, the organization was widely considered to be a large network composed of multiple subordinate commanders operating under Turji's leadership. The group reportedly controlled several districts in Sokoto State, where it imposed levies on local communities.
Over the years, Turji made several peace arrangements with authorities in Zamfara State. However, these arrangments repeatedly collapsed, leading to renewed outbreaks of violence.
The Forces of Bello Turji has been involved in the one-sided category of UCDP organized violence.
