A photograph of a rifle-wielding man, identified as “Duna Sani,” a senior commander in the gang of notorious bandit leader Bello Turji, has surfaced online, drawing outrage over his alleged atrocities in north-west Nigeria.
Counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama described Sani as one of the most feared figures in Turji’s network, notorious for extreme brutality, including the killing of countless people, beheading women, and committing multiple sexual assaults in communities repeatedly attacked by the gang.
In an alleged audio recording, Turji reportedly boasted that Sani “could not go more than three days without killing someone.”
Makama, in a post on X, said: “Notorious bandit commander ‘Duna Sani’… accused of killing an uncountable number of people, beheading women, and committing multiple acts of sexual violence in north-western Nigeria.”
The development comes days after Turji released a video confirming ongoing negotiations with him aimed at ending violence in Zamfara and neighbouring states. In the Hausa-language message, shared by Makama, Turji said the talks sought lasting peace that would allow Fulani herders and Hausa farmers to live without fear or harassment.
