A group of armed men led by Turji, a notorious bandits leader in Zamfara State, has abducted about 150 people in Kurya, Keta, Kware, Badarawa, Marisuwa and Maberaya among other villages in the Shinkafi Local Government Area of the state in the last 24 hours.

The attacks started on Friday in response to the arrest of Turji’s father by security agents in Kano about two weeks ago. The bandits leader had vowed to stop many people from performing the upcoming Sallah from their home if his father was not released.

“He was called on the phone during a meeting between the communities and security agents and he faulted the basis of his father’s arrest, saying he is the one that is the terrorist, with his location known, and saw no reason for the arrest of his father,” Daily Trust quoted a source who was at the meeting as saying.

The group also reportedly abducted travellers along Gusau-Sokoto and fired a rocket propelled grenade that destroyed parts of the Emir of Shinkafi’s palace.

In a meeting with Sheik Gumi, a popular Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, in February, Turji had boasted that his group had enough weapons to destabilize Zamfara State if it so willed.

Turji reportedly took over command of the Shinkafi armed bandit wing after the death of one Buharin Daji, a similary notorious bandit who was killed by security operatives some years back.