Bandit leader Bello Turji’s ‘APC card’ sparks outrage, denial in Zamfara

The sudden appearance of a purported All Progressives Congress (APC) membership card bearing the name and photograph of feared bandit kingpin Bello Turji sent ripples of controversy through Zamfara on Monday, forcing the ruling party to issue a swift and emphatic denial.

Zamfara APC said the card, which has been circulating on social media, is fake and part of a calculated attempt to smear the party’s image and discredit its ongoing electronic registration exercise across the state.

In a statement released to journalists, the party’s spokesperson, Yusuf Idris, described the document as a crude forgery engineered by “mischievous elements” uncomfortable with what he called the orderly and transparent conduct of the APC’s membership revalidation and registration process.

According to Idris, the forged card was designed to falsely present Turji—one of the most notorious bandit leaders operating in the North-West—as a registered member of the APC, a claim he dismissed as baseless and deliberately misleading.

“This is the handiwork of people who are unhappy with the smooth, successful and well-coordinated manner in which the ongoing e-registration of APC members is taking place in Zamfara State,” Idris said.

He noted that the alleged membership card contained obvious inconsistencies that exposed it as a forgery, adding that its creators paid little attention to basic details.

“Even a casual observer can detect that this card is fake. The bold ‘26’ on the date, supposedly referring to January 26, is a clear giveaway. In addition, the photograph used is a widely circulated image of the bandit leader, well known to security agencies and the general public,” he stated.

The APC spokesman stressed that the party’s registration process is fully digitised and linked to the National Identification Number (NIN) system, making it impossible for a fugitive bandit to be enrolled.

“No one can be registered without a valid National Identification Number, which Bello Turji does not possess. This alone exposes the ignorance of those behind the forgery and renders their effort useless,” Idris said.

He further questioned the plausibility of claims that Turji could have been captured by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), noting the strict procedures involved in biometric enrolment.

“Before NIMC enrolment, an individual must submit full personal details and undergo biometric capture. How can anyone reasonably claim that NIMC would capture a man dressed in military attire and carrying a gun? Such an idea is completely absurd,” he added.

Idris also pointed out discrepancies in the numerical codes on the fake card, explaining that Zamfara APC membership cards begin with the code ‘36’, not ‘26’.

“Our records from the ongoing registration exercise in Kware Ward show clearly that there is no membership number beginning with ‘26’. That code belongs to Niger State, not Zamfara. Yet it was wrongly used on this forged card,” he said.

He disclosed that preliminary investigations traced the circulation of the fake card to one Babangida Aliyu Shinkafi, popularly known as Waziri, an associate of Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, who was recently suspended from the APC e-registration exercise over alleged questionable activities.

“The card first surfaced on his Facebook page, which is why our preliminary findings have linked the forgery to him,” Idris said.

The party spokesman emphasised that the Zamfara APC leadership and the e-registration coordination team had completely dissociated themselves from the fake card, identified as bearing registration number ID APC 261113000102.

Bello Turji ‘APC membership Card’

“For the avoidance of doubt, APC membership cards issued in Zamfara State begin with the code ‘36’. Anything outside that is fake and should be disregarded,” he said.

Idris urged members of the public not to be misled by the forged document, assuring that the matter had been formally reported to security agencies for investigation.

“We have confidence that those responsible for this criminal act will be identified, arrested and prosecuted accordingly,” he said.