David Akachukwu
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Infamous bandit leader Bello Turji has reportedly freed 32 hostages and agreed to halt attacks on farmers following multiple peace dialogues with Islamic scholars at his hideout.
Renowned Islamic preacher Musa Yusuf, popularly known as Asadus-Sunnah, disclosed this development during a religious gathering on Monday in Kaduna.
Mr. Yusuf revealed that Turji also surrendered some weapons after negotiations that took place in the Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
He mentioned that people living in Shinkafi approached his group of clerics, requesting mediation with Turji to enable them to return to their farmlands situated in the forests. According to him, three separate meetings were held in July inside the Fakai forest.
“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.
“They surrendered the arms in three phases at different times, and allowed the residents of Shinkafi to access their farms in the forest across the river heading to Mr Turji enclaves. We agreed that the Fulanis must be allowed to go to town without being stereotyped or killed by the vigilante.
“He (Turji) also released 32 kidnapped captives as part of the peace agreement,” Mr Yusuf said.
He also played a video showing some of the released individuals and the difficult trails they followed to reach Turji’s base.
The freed hostages, which included both women and children, had been held for almost four months. It was reported that some women gave birth while in captivity, and one individual was bitten by a snake.
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Since the truce, Yusuf stated, Shinkafi has remained peaceful, with residents now farming without the usual fear of being abducted.
He clarified that although Turji was encouraged to support peace efforts, they did not insist he surrender all his arms. This decision was made to ensure he could defend himself from other gangs not part of the deal.
He also criticized some religious figures for their online condemnation of Turji, cautioning that:
“Their utterances would only exacerbate the situation.”
Yusuf acknowledged that while this peace effort may not completely eliminate insecurity in Zamfara, areas under Turji’s influence are now experiencing relative calm.
He went on to commend President Bola Tinubu, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, and Senator Shehu Buba for backing a non-violent solution to the region’s insecurity.
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