- At least 48 security operatives, including JTF members and soldiers, were killed in an ambush by bandits loyal to Bello Turji near Shinkafi, Zamfara.
- Some of the attackers were identified as former combatants who had undergone a government-backed rehabilitation programme.
- The assault has forced residents in affected communities to flee, amid growing insecurity and a rising death toll across northern Nigeria.
At least 48 security operatives have reportedly been killed in Zamfara State following a deadly ambush by bandits loyal to the notorious Bello Turji near Shinkafi Local Government Area.
According to multiple reports, the weekend assault claimed the lives of Joint Task Force (JTF) members and soldiers, marking one of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent months.
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A viral video surfaced on Wednesday showing Bello Turji flanked by his armed followers, celebrating around the corpses of the slain operatives.
Security sources told Peoples Gazette that some of the attackers had previously undergone rehabilitation under a controversial social reintegration programme launched by former Governor Bello Matawalle.
This latest massacre comes on the heels of a damning report by Amnesty International, which said at least 10,217 Nigerians have been killed by gunmen across seven states in the first two years of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“A new investigation shows that, in the two years since the current government has been in power, at least 10,217 people have been killed in attacks by gunmen in Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara state,” Amnesty stated.
The report added that most victims were farmers, whose displacement has left them unable to return to their lands to cultivate crops.
NYSC Denies Extending Lagos Corper Raye’s Service Year Over Criticism of Tinubu
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has dismissed claims that it extended the service year of Lagos-based corps member Rita Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye, as punishment for publicly criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Raye had gained widespread attention online after posting a viral video on her TikTok handle, @talktoraye, where she expressed deep frustration over Nigeria’s worsening economic situation. In the clip, she lamented rising inflation, harsh living conditions, and described President Tinubu as a “terrible leader.”
