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From John Bassey, Gusau
A notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, has openly refuted claims of receiving an N30 million payoff or any material benefits from the peace deal between him and the Zamfara State Government during the administration of Dr Bello Matawalle, now Minister of State for Defence.
Speaking in a viral video circulating on social media, the kidnapping syndicate acknowledged that he participated in peace negotiations with the Zamfara State Government during the administration of former Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle, but dismissed allegations made by Musa Kamarawa, a former peace mediator appointed by the Sokoto and Zamfara State governments to facilitate non-kinetic engagement with armed groups in the North West.
Kamarawa had alleged in an earlier video that the Matawalle-led administration held several meetings with bandits, including Turji, at the Government House in Gusau, during which money and vehicles were said to have been distributed to them, and specifically claimed that Turji was given N30 million as part of the peace process.
Reacting to the allegation, Turji described the claims as outright lies, stressing that although peace meetings did occur, he neither received N30 million nor collected money and vehicles on behalf of any Fulani leader.
“By Allah, since the day I was born, I have never owned up to five million naira,” Turji said. “We were never given the N30 million being mentioned.”
According to him, the engagements with government officials were solely intended to de-escalate violence and restore peace in Zamfara State, insisting that he did not derive any personal financial benefit from the process.
Turji accused Kamarawa of betraying the confidence built during the negotiations, alleging that the former mediator was giving what he termed false and misleading testimonies.
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“When the Zamfara State government appointed you, we agreed to peace. But what you are saying now is full of deceit. I did not even receive three million naira.”
The bandit leader further blamed former political leaders in Zamfara and Sokoto states for worsening insecurity in the region.
He alleged that they armed local vigilante groups known as ‘Yan Banga’, which he claimed targeted Fulani communities.
Turji specifically named former Sokoto State and former Zamfara State governors, accusing them of contributing to the crisis and calling for their investigation and arrest.
“We openly say that former governors of Zamfara and Sokoto…, are responsible for the calamities that befell these states,” Turji alleged.
He also attempted to distance himself from political affiliations, insisting that neither he nor his group was acting on behalf of any politician.
Despite his claims, Nigerian security agencies continue to regard Bello Turji as one of the most dangerous armed group leaders operating in the North West, with the military having previously declared him wanted over terrorism-related activities.
