A newly surfaced video shows three Nigerian soldiers boldly challenging a notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, who is responsible for numerous violent attacks across northern Nigeria.
The soldiers expressed their frustration at the lack of orders from higher authorities to pursue Turji and instead issued a direct challenge, urging him to leave his hiding place and confront them.
In the video, which was primarily spoken in Hausa, one of the soldiers stated, “Since they have refused to order us to come for you, come out from your hideout and let’s face each other and see what happens.”
The soldiers further taunted Turji, questioning his bravery: “Bello Turji, if you think you’re truly a man and the son of your mother, come out and face us.”
They condemned Turji’s actions, pleading with him to stop harming civilians: “For Allah’s sake, stop kidnapping and killing civilians; they are innocent.”
The soldiers highlighted their past successes in combat, recalling their experience in defeating Boko Haram in Maiduguri, Borno State: “Before now, we didn’t know what a soldier or a gun was, and we eliminated Boko Haram. Now that we are soldiers and know how to use guns, Bello Turji, you are mad.”
Reiterating their challenge, they emphasized that both sides are armed: “You have a gun, and we have guns too. Come out from your hideout and let us face each other.”
They ended with a final taunt, asserting that Turji’s attacks on civilians prove he is not truly courageous: “If you’re kidnapping and killing innocent civilians, you’re not man enough. Leave them and come face us.”
