Today makes it 91 days since Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Chris Musa, vowed to capture and eliminate notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, and put a stop to his reign of terror in Zamfara State, but the criminal is still running loose, causing havoc, kidnapping innocent Nigerians and collecting millions of naira in ransom.
The CDS had, during a press conference in Abuja on September 10, boasted that it was just a matter of time before the dreaded bandit whom he describing as deranged would meet his waterloo.
“On the issue of Turji, like I said, he is just a deranged individual who feels power, but I can bet you that it’s just a matter of time.
“It is a matter of time, we’re going to get him, and I can assure you that it will be within the shortest possible time”.
Despite the assurances Gen. Musa made to Nigerians in September, the Nigerian military has been unable to capture Turji nor put an end to his criminal activities as he has continued to operate with reckless abandon, kidnapping and killing at will and even going as far as imposing millions of naira in taxes and levies on communities in Zamfara.
While Nigerians, especially residents of the communities where he has been terrorizing, waited with bated breathes hoping Musa and the Nigerian military would fulfill their promise of capturing or eliminating Turji, the bandit kingpin went on the rampage and became bolder than he had ever been.
He elevated his terrorism acts to another level by releasing a series of videos where he mocked the military and daring them to come after him as he is not afraid of them.
In one of such videos released days after Gen. Musa’s press conference, Turji, dressed in full military fatigue and brandishing sophisticated weapons, boldly called out the Army Chief by name and charged him to get all the weapons in the military arsenal and come after him.
Many Nigerians have questioned the CDS’ commentary on Turji, and have likened it to similar promises made by politicians, and those in positions of authority in the country, who continually make promises to the citizenry, but pay no heed to the fulfillment of such promises.
Questions are being asked also, why it’s so difficult for the CDS, and by extension the Nigerian military, given the resources at their disposal to tackle the insecurity situation in the country, or capture one renegade bandit killing and maiming citizens at will.
Some have even gone as far as asking if Gen Musa has what it takes to tackle the situation, or deliver on his promise.
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