Notorious terrorist commander Bello Turji has reportedly surrendered his arms and released 32 kidnap victims following a peace initiative brokered by Islamic clerics in Zamfara State.
The development was disclosed by a prominent Islamic scholar, Musa Yusuf, popularly known as Asadus-Sunnah during a religious gathering on Monday in Kaduna.
According to Yusuf, the breakthrough came after a series of meetings held in July between the clerics and Turji’s gang in the Fakai forest, located in Shinkafi local government area of Zamfara State.
“We met Mr Turji, Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa and Malam Ila. The speculation that Dan Bakkolo was killed is not true. These people are the ones terrorising the axis, and they all agreed to the peace proposals, one of which is for them to surrender some of their arms to show commitment to the peace process,” Yusuf stated.
He revealed that the clerics were invited by Shinkafi residents who pleaded for help in securing access to their farmlands which had long been under the control of the terror group.
The arms, he said, were surrendered in three phases, after which the bandits allowed local farmers to return to their lands across the river leading into Turji’s enclave.
“He (Turji) also released 32 kidnapped captives as part of the peace agreement,” Yusuf said while displaying a video of the freed victims navigating the difficult terrain to leave Turji’s camp.
Among the rescued were women and children, some of whom had spent nearly four months in captivity.
“Disturbingly, several women reportedly gave birth while in captivity, and one suffered a snake bite”, Yusuf said.
He added that the area had witnessed relative peace since the dialogue began, with local farmers now cultivating their lands without fear of violence.
“We agreed that the Fulanis must be allowed to go to town without being stereotyped or killed by the vigilante,” Yusuf said, emphasising the need for peace and reconciliation among all communities involved.
While acknowledging that the process was still ongoing, the cleric clarified that Turji was not asked to surrender all his weapons in order not to leave him vulnerable to rival groups who may not support the peace initiative.
“The clerics are still trying to persuade Turji to accept total peace. But asking him to surrender all his arms may expose him to attacks from other groups opposed to the peace process in the state,” he said.
Yusuf also issued a stern warning to religious figures criticising the dialogue on social media, cautioning that such comments could inflame tensions and derail the fragile progress made so far.
He noted that although the initiative would not end all terrorist attacks in Zamfara State, communities in Turji’s axis were already experiencing a measure of stability.
Commending efforts at the federal and state levels, Yusuf praised President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal; and Senator Shehu Buba for backing the non-kinetic approach to tackling insecurity in the region.
“This is why we are calling on all of you to come and collaborate with us for peace to reign and stop the bloodbath in Zamfara. Guns and airstrikes will not stop us because we are not afraid of death,” Turji was quoted as saying in a video clip from October, warning that military action alone would not resolve the crisis.
He also criticised the political wrangling between Governor Lawal and former Governor Bello Matawalle, now Minister of State for Defence, describing their rivalry as detrimental to the welfare of the people.
“The blame game over the worsening security situation between Governor Lawal and Bello Matawalle is political. Both politicians do not have their people’s best interests at heart,” Turji said.
