Bandit leader, Bello Turji, has accused two former northern governors of fueling insecurity in the country, especially in the North.
CANDID REPORTERS gathered that the bandit also confirmed participating in a series of peace meetings with the Zamfara State government during the administration of a former governor of the state, but vehemently denied claims that he received N30 million or any material inducement to participate in the process.
Efforts made to get the reaction of both former governors at press time yesterday proved abortive as they neither picked up calls nor returned the calls.
Text and WhatsApp messages also sent to their mobile phones got no response.
However, several sources close to the former governors insisted that the words of a terrorist should not be believed.
According to one of the sources, “why would anyone want to place a premium on the words of a terrorist? Is it not clear that the terrorist is just trying to present himself as a victim? It is all lies.”
Another source close to one of the governors volunteered: “I can confirm to you that Turji is telling lies. Somebody who has serially killed is the one you want to believe. All that he has said is lies.”
The Ministry of Justice and Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation also failed to comment on the development.
But Turji in a viral video which surfaced yesterday, accused 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.
The bandit specifically named former Sokoto State governor and his former Zamfara State counterpart of calling for their arrest and investigation over what he described as their roles in the crisis.
“We openly say that former governors of Zamfara and Sokoto states are responsible for the calamities that befell these states,” Turji claimed.
He sought to distance himself from any political influence, insisting that he was not acting on behalf of any politician or interest group.
“We are not politicians, and we are not tools of politicians. There is no human being backing us,’’ he said.
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.
Turji’s expose came against the backdrop of accusation against him by a former peace negotiator, Musa Kamarawa, engaged by both state governments to negotiate with bandits’ leaders as part of the process to facilitate non-kinetic engagement with armed groups.
Kamarawa had accused Turji of collecting N30 million for his participation in the peace process at Government House in Gusau.
But Turji in the video response, dismissed the allegations as outright falsehood, 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. What I am doing is not for personal gain. We were never given the N30 million you are talking about.”
According to him, the meetings with government officials were solely aimed at reducing violence and restoring peace in the states.
The bandit leaders stressed that he did not benefit financially from the engagement, and accused Kamarawa of betraying the trust built during the negotiations, peddling what he described as false and malicious testimony.
“When the Zamfara State government appointed you, we agreed on peace. But what you are saying now is full of lies and deceit. I did not even receive three million naira,” Turji said of Kamarawa.
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