By Our Correspondent
One of Nigeria’s most feared terrorist commanders, Bello Turji, has reportedly begun disarming and released 32 kidnapped victims as part of a grassroots peace initiative led by Islamic clerics in Zamfara State.
The development, which marks a significant moment in ongoing efforts to quell banditry in the North-West, was revealed during a religious gathering in Kaduna on Monday by Musa Yusuf, popularly known as Asadus-Sunnah, one of the clerics involved in the negotiation process.
“We met Mr Turji, Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa, and Malam Ila. The speculation that Dan Bakkolo was killed is not true. These individuals are responsible for the insecurity in the area, and they all agreed to the peace proposals,” Yusuf said.
“We agreed that the Fulanis must be allowed to go to town without being stereotyped or killed by the vigilante.”
According to Yusuf, the talks were initiated in July following pleas from residents of Shinkafi Local Government Area, who asked the clerics to intervene with Turji and his associates, who have long been accused of orchestrating deadly attacks, kidnappings, and displacement in the region.
“The peace talks were initiated by residents of Shinkafi who requested the clerics to appeal to Turji to halt attacks and allow farmers to access their lands,” Yusuf explained.
The meetings, he said, took place deep inside the Fakai forest, a known bandit stronghold in Zamfara.
Yusuf confirmed that the group of militants has surrendered some of their weapons in three phases, while also allowing local farmers to return to farmlands previously under militant control.
“The group surrendered some of their weapons in three phases and allowed residents to resume farming activities in forest areas previously under their control,” he said.
In a further gesture of commitment to the peace process, Turji released 32 kidnapped individuals, with Yusuf presenting a video showing the tough terrain the freed captives had to navigate to reach safety.
“They had to cross a very difficult terrain to reach Turji’s camp,” Yusuf noted.
He also explained that the clerics have refrained from demanding a total disarmament from Turji in order to prevent the group from becoming vulnerable to attacks by rival factions that have yet to embrace the peace initiative.
“We deliberately did not demand the surrender of all weapons to avoid making Turji vulnerable to attacks from rival groups that may not be part of the peace process,” Yusuf added.
Bello Turji, long considered one of the most dangerous terror figures in Northern Nigeria, has been linked to multiple mass killings, abductions, and raids across Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina states.
His group, often referred to as a major player in the wider banditry crisis plaguing the North-West, has operated with impunity in forests and remote communities, making state intervention difficult, hence the peace initiative by Muslim clerics.
