Zamfara APC debunks bandit leader Bello Turji’s membership card

The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says the party membership card with the picture of notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, is fake.

The Zamfara APC Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris, in a statement issued on Monday, January 26, 2026, described the action as a mischievous attempt to spoil the party’s name.

Idris stated that the APC membership card was doctored to contain an edited picture of Turji and making him look like a registered member of the party.

Idris said: “This was carried out by mischievous elements who are not happy with the smooth, successful and coordinated manner the ongoing e-registration of members is going in the state.

“Even to the man on the street, the forgery is detectable right from the card in which there’s the emboldened ‘26’ on the date referred to the 26th day of January.

“Similarly, the photograph of the hardened criminal used on the card is his picture popularly known by both security agencies and Nigerians in general.

“No person can be duly registered without a NIN number which Turji hasn’t, and therefore making nonsense of the efforts of the mischief makers for failing to realise that APC programmes are mostly flawless.

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“The forgers forgot that before any person is enrolled by NIMC, he must fill a form that will contain his full information before he is captured.

“How then could NIMC capture him with military uniform and gun on his shoulders or are they blind or had forgotten that such features are not acceptable.”

“Also, from our records of today’s registration from Kware ward, we did not have the ID number with the initial ID code ’26’ which is for Niger but forged for Zamfara membership card, talk less of the name.

“Preliminary investigation has already linked the mischievous card to one of Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi’s boys, Babangida Aliyu Shinkafi (Waziri) who was recently suspended from participating in the ongoing e-registration programme due to his dubious attitude.

“The forgery is linked to him because it first appeared on his Facebook page.”

The Zamfara APC spokesman, therefore, urged Nigerians to disregard the card “while investigation over the fabricators is being conducted.”

“We have reported the forgery case to the security agencies and we are sure the perpetrator will be arrested and prosecuted soon,” Idris added.

The Star