AN image circulating on social media claims to show an All Progressives Congress (APC) membership slip allegedly issued to notorious bandit leader Bello Turji, suggesting that he has officially registered as a member of the ruling party in Zamfara State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The membership slip bears Bello Turji’s name and photograph, implying that he had joined the APC.
A verified X user, @SabinaNkiru, posted the image on January 27 with the caption:
“BREAKING: The most wanted bandit in Nigeria Bello Turji, has registered as a member of APC in Shinkafi LGA of Zamfara State.
APC is a terrorist organization – Canadian Court.”
As of January 27, 2026, the post had generated over 65,500 views, 1,837 likes, and more than 1,108 reposts.
The image has since spread to other social media platforms, sparking debates and raising questions about its authenticity.
READ: How resignation of APC chieftain stirs misinformation online
On Facebook, a user @Plateau Update, also posted the same image on January 26 with the caption:
“#trendingpost: If they explain Nigeria to you and you understand ehhh your chances of running m@d is 70%.”
As of January 27, the Facebook post had garnered 79 likes, 27 comments, and four shares.
CLAIM
The post claims that Bello Turji, a notorious bandit leader in Nigeria, has successfully registered as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is false.
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The FactCheckHub subjected the image to a reverse image search, which led to a report by TVC News. In the report, the Zamfara State chapter of the APC publicly denied that Bello Turji is a member of the party.
According to party officials, the APC membership slip displayed in the viral image was forged and manipulated.
Further analysis by The FactCheckHub involved comparing a genuine APC temporary membership slip with the one circulating online. The comparison revealed multiple inconsistencies and formatting errors on the viral slip that do not align with authentic APC membership documents.
Notably, Bello Turji’s name on the viral slip appears unusually large, while the date looks edited and misaligned compared to slips issued to party members. These discrepancies further indicate that the image was doctored.
Additionally, the Zamfara State APC, as reported by TVC News, reaffirmed that the party did not issue the membership slip and described it as fake.
VERDICT
The claim that Bello Turji has registered as a member of the All Progressives Congress is false. The circulating APC membership slip is doctored and was not issued by the party.
Seasoned writer and literary curator, Zainab Abdulrasaq is a factchecker for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached on IG @blackbookishgirl or zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org
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