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Residents express concern over return of Turji, as DHQ officials keep mum

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The Defence Headquarters has remained silent following the return of terrorist kingpin, Bello Turji, which has sparked panic among residents of Sokoto State.

In separate operations conducted in January 2025, the military announced the killing of Aminu Kanawa, the second-in-command to Turji, along with 31 other fighters and Turji’s son.

The DHQ also reported that troops inflicted serious injuries on some of Turji’s close allies, including his younger brother.

The military stated that Turji fled during one of the operations, calling him a coward for abandoning his son and fighters during the gun battle.

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However, a member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly representing Sabon Birni Local Government, Aminu Boza, told journalists last week that Turji had resurfaced in Sokoto State and imposed a N25m levy on villages.

He also revealed that Turji had set up camp in a forest in the Isa Local Government Area.

“Bello Turji is currently in the Isa and Sabon Birni axis of Sokoto. He has even imposed a N25m levy per village in some communities,” Boza said, adding that Turji had been collecting taxes from the local population.

Turji’s re-emergence has heightened fears among residents who have long suffered from the activities of bandits in Sokoto and neighboring areas.

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Efforts to reach the Director of Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, for comments on what the military is doing to allay residents’ fears proved abortive.

Calls and messages to his line from last Thursday through Sunday had yet to be answered at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, Sokoto State Governor, Dr. Ahmed Aliyu, has reiterated his administration’s unwavering commitment to tackling insecurity in the state.

Speaking on Saturday at a security summit organised by the Movement for Social Justice in collaboration with the Sokoto State Government, Aliyu emphasised the need for accountability and transparency in security management.

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He acknowledged the widespread security challenges facing Nigeria, which have significantly hindered the country’s economic, political, and social development.

According to him, every region in the country faces distinct security threats, with Sokoto and other North-West states grappling with banditry, kidnapping, and cattle rustling—especially in the eastern part of the state.

Governor Aliyu stated that upon assuming office, his administration swiftly implemented decisive measures to improve security through collaboration with conventional security agencies.

“Before we came into office, several communities were under the control of bandits, who dictated the terms of daily life to residents,” he said.

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To address the situation, the governor outlined several proactive steps taken by his administration, which includes, “restoring security allowances previously owed to security personnel and procuring and distributing over 140 Buffalo and Hilux vans to security agencies for enhanced surveillance.”

“Providing motorcycles to the Department of State Services to improve intelligence gathering, sharing, and surveillance as well as upgrading DSS tracking equipment from 2G and 3G to 5G technology.”

Furthermore, Governor Aliyu highlighted the establishment of the Sokoto State Security Guard Corps to complement conventional security forces.

The corps, he said, had been equipped with Hilux vans, 700 motorcycles, and fully operational offices in the 13 local governments most affected by insecurity.

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Additionally, the government has facilitated the full operationalisation of the Sokoto State Air Force Base by providing essential facilities, including hangars and other logistical support, to strengthen aerial surveillance and neutralise bandit hideouts.

Governor Aliyu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to promptly addressing the needs of security agencies, emphasising that these efforts had led to a noticeable reduction in banditry.

He noted that security forces have successfully repelled several attacks, demonstrating the effectiveness of the measures put in place.

“Our administration is fully committed to ensuring the safety of Sokoto State. We are prepared to spend every last kobo in the state’s account to protect our people,” he declared.

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Credit: PUNCH

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Rivers traditional ruler narrowly escapes assassin’s bullets as hoodlums shoot at his palace

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The Amadabo of Finima in Bonny local government area of Rivers State, HRH Aseme Alabo Dagogo Lambert Brown in the early hours of today, August 22, 2026 narroy escaped an assassination attempt on his life.

However, the Amadabo was not at home when the blood thirsty hoodlums fired sporadically at the building housing the living rooms of the monarch and other households.

Unfortunately, some members were seriously injured and rushed to hospitals for emergency medical attention.

Condemning the heinous crime, Aseme Alabo Dagogo Lambert Brown stated that they had received intelligence reports of importation of hoodlums into the community.

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He blamed the Bonny Traditional Authorities of sponsoring a faction of Tobin House to cause mayhem.

He called on law enforcement agencies to urgently investigate the matter and bring perpetrators.

Transcript of the attached voice.

“It is very painful and regretful of what I see today in Finima.

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We have envisaged this. We live in the community, we have the intelligence, information is coming here and there, and we communicated same intelligence to the security agencies that we are having mercenaries imported into Finima for the sake of a strange event that wants to happen.

Must all of us die because one faction of the Tobin house in Finima, being sponsored by the Bonny Traditional Authorities, wants to perform things that are strange in Finima?

God will never allow that to happen. God will never allow—we saw it. All this happening is to intimidate me and my people for saying this is not how we are living as a people. We live as one people. All the cultural institutions are in full participation by the chieftaincy houses in Finima. There’s no separation.

Why? Because we want to avoid any rivalry group or things that will cause disunity in Finima. That is how our upgrowing—that’s how we’ve grown up in Finima.

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And these are one of the outcomes, very regretful. I want to appeal to the law enforcement agencies today that people behind this heinous act are culprits—people, culprits to this heinous act—are arrested and prosecuted.

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Photos: 15 years after, Apo-Karshi Road for inauguration in December – Wike

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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says the long-delayed Apo-Karshi road will finally be completed and handed over by November, putting an end to a 15-year wait for residents in the axis.

Wike gave the assurance in Abuja on Saturday, after inspecting the progress of the project as well as the 14-kilometre Bwari Kubwa Road.

He explained that the 13.5-kilometer road, originally awarded in 2011 under previous administrations, has been a major point of frustration for motorists experiencing daily traffic congestion between satellite communities and the Abuja city center.

He explained that the current administration was forced to revoke the original contract due to persistent delays and re-award it to construction firm SCC Nigeria Ltd.

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“The Apo-Karshi road has been a topical issue. It was awarded in 2010, one of those projects President Bola Tinubu inherited.

“Because of its importance and the complaints by residents, we had to terminate the contract and award it to SCC, which we know has the capacity to complete the job.

“Residents who have been crying for years can now see that this government has come to their aid,” he said.

The minister praised the contractor for maintaining progress on-site regardless of funding cycles, reaffirming the government’s commitment to honoring its financial obligations.

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The minister also inspected the ongoing construction of the 14-kilometre Bwari-Kubwa road, stressing that the contractor had promised to deliver the critical road in December.

He emphasised that the tangible delivery of infrastructure projects serves as the strongest argument for the administration’s governance model, downplaying traditional political campaigning in favor of visible results.

“When people ask me about campaigns, I say, ‘What is campaign? See the campaign. Campaign is about what you have done for the people and what the government has to show.

“It is not about promises; it is about taking action that positively impacts lives,” he said.

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With multiple road networks approaching completion across the FCT, the minister expressed confidence that the administration would surpass its initial 10 projects target for inauguration between December and January 2027.

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BREAKING: 38 year former world champion boxer, Zolani Tete shot dead in South Africa

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Ex-world champion boxer Zolani Tete has been shot dead outside his home in South Africa at the age of 38.

This ugly development happened in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, as Zolani Tete arrived at his residence and waited for the gate to open.

According to the police, two armed men wearing balaclavas stepped out of a vehicle and opened fire on the boxer.

A 27-year-old woman who was travelling with Tete was also shot several times and taken to hospital for treatment.

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South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, confirmed Tete’s death on Friday.

McKenzie expressed caution over speculation about the motive behind the attack, saying “I will not speculate about who did this or why.”

Police have launched an investigation, but no motive has been established and no details about possible suspects have been released.

Zolani Tete , who was nicknamed “Last Born”, became widely known in boxing for his remarkable 11-second knockout of fellow South African Siboniso Gonya in Belfast in November 2017.

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The knockout remains one of the fastest stoppages in a world title fight.

Tete achieved it while defending his WBO bantamweight title, which he had won earlier that year and held until 2019.

The southpaw boxer had previously captured the IBF junior-bantamweight title in 2014 after defeating Japan’s Teiru Kinoshita in Kobe.

Earlier in his career, Tete had also held the minor WBF flyweight title.

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Zolani Tete’s death came only weeks after he completed a four-year ban from boxing following a positive test for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol after his 2022 bout against Jason Cunningham.

His suspension ended on July 29, and he had been preparing to make a return to professional boxing before his death.

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