Renowned security analyst Zakariya Getso has lambasted Nigerian authorities for failing to apprehend notorious bandit leader Bello Turji, asserting the terror figurehead is neither in hiding nor elusive, and could be captured within a day if security forces muster genuine resolve amid his brazen viral videos taunting officials. Getso, speaking on December 15, 2025, dismissed narratives of Turji's invincibility in Zamfara's forests, pointing to precise intelligence on his movements and networks fueled by recent exposures like peace talk denials and accusations against ex-governors such as Attahiru Bafarawa and Ahmed Yerima for arming vigilantes against Fulani herders.
The expert highlighted Turji's recent footage rejecting N30 million payoffs from ex-Governor Bello Matawalle's negotiations, swearing by Allah he's never held even N5 million while blaming political betrayals for sustained violence, yet operations continue neutralizing his lieutenants like Kachalla Kallamu in Sokoto. Getso urged deploying elite units with real-time intel fusion, criticizing politicized insecurity where Turji operates openly, not as a politician's proxy, but as a symptom of neglected non-kinetic failures that embolden kingpins ravaging the Northwest.
This bold claim reignites debates on banditry's roots in elite complicity and operational lapses, as Turji's defiance freeing captives sporadically while demanding probes exposes systemic rot, pressing President Tinubu's administration for swift action to shatter the myth of untouchability and restore Northwest peace.