By Musa Ubandawaki
Notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, has confirmed that he participated in a series of peace meetings with the Zamfara State Government during the administration of former governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle, now Minister of State for Defence, but vehemently denied claims that he received ₦30 million or any material inducement as part of the process.
Turji’s rebuttal followed allegations by Musa Kamarawa, a former peace mediator appointed by the Sokoto and Zamfara state governments to facilitate non-kinetic engagement with armed groups. Kamarawa had alleged in a viral video that the former Zamfara governor held meetings with bandit leaders, including Turji, at the Government House in Gusau and allegedly distributed cash and vehicles to them. He specifically claimed that Turji collected ₦30 million during the peace initiative.
In a separate video response widely circulated online, Turji dismissed the allegations as outright false, insisting that although peace talks took place, neither he nor any Fulani leader acting on his behalf received money or vehicles.
“By Allah, since I was born, I have never possessed even five million naira,” Turji said. “What I am doing is not for personal gain. We were never given the ₦30 million you are talking about.”
According to him, the meetings with government officials were solely aimed at reducing violence and restoring peace in the state, stressing that he did not benefit financially from the engagement. He accused Kamarawa of betraying the trust built during the negotiations and peddling what he described as false and malicious testimony.
“When the Zamfara State government appointed you, we agreed on peace,” Turji said, addressing Kamarawa directly. “But what you are saying now is full of lies and deceit. I did not even receive three million naira.”
Turji went further to accuse past political leadership in Zamfara and Sokoto states of laying the foundation for the region’s long-running insecurity. He alleged that former administrations armed vigilante groups, popularly known as ‘Yan Banga,’ which he claimed disproportionately targeted Fulani communities and escalated violence.
He specifically named former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, and former Zamfara State governor, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, calling for their arrest and investigation over what he described as their roles in the crisis.
The bandit leader sought to distance himself from any political influence, insisting that he was not acting on behalf of any politician or interest group.
“We openly say that former governors of Zamfara and Sokoto, Bafarawa and Ahmed Sani Yerima, are responsible for the calamities that befell these states,” Turji claimed.
“We are not politicians, and we are not tools of politicians,” he said. “There is no human being backing us.”
Although Turji did not address reports of any recent negotiations with the Federal Government, he framed his remarks as a personal defence, insisting he was speaking “before Allah alone.”
Despite his claims, Nigerian security agencies have repeatedly identified Bello Turji as one of the most dangerous armed group leaders operating in the North-West, with the military previously declaring him wanted for terror-related activities.
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