Footage has surfaced online showing notorious bandit leader Bello Turji and his gang celebrating after capturing a Nigerian Army Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and a substantial cache of ammunition.
The incident was verified by ZagaZola Makama, a counterinsurgency and security expert in the Lake Chad region, who provided details about the confrontation.
Makama reported that the Nigerian Army had received intelligence about a high-level meeting of bandits at a location within Bello Turji’s camp. Acting on this information, a team of soldiers led by a young officer was deployed to the area. However, their operation faced complications when the troops’ vehicle got stuck in the marshy terrain, bringing their advance to a halt.
The soldiers soon came under heavy fire from the bandits, triggering an intense gun battle that lasted for several hours. Unfortunately, heavy rainfall and poor weather conditions delayed the arrival of air support, allowing the bandits to fortify their positions.
An attempt to use another Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle to tow out the stuck one also failed, as it too became mired in the mud. Despite reinforcements being dispatched, the troops were eventually overwhelmed and forced to withdraw, leaving the vehicles behind. Fortunately, no casualties were reported among the soldiers.
Hours later, Turji and his gang returned to the scene, celebrating their victory by firing shots into the air and boasting about their success in driving away the soldiers and capturing the vehicles.
The Nigerian Army has yet to confirm the incident.
