Notorious Terrorist Bello Turji Lays Down Arms, Frees 32 Hostages After Cleric-Led Peace Deal

Notorious Terrorist Bello Turji Lays Down Arms, Frees 32 Hostages After Cleric-Led Peace Deal

Notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has released 32 kidnapped victims and pledged to halt attacks on farmers in Zamfara State, following a series of peace meetings with Islamic clerics in his Fakai forest hideout.

The development was disclosed by Musa Yusuf, a cleric popularly known as Asadus-Sunnah, during a religious gathering in Kaduna.

According to  the cleric, Turji also surrendered portions of his weapon stockpile in three phases, allowing residents of Shinkafi Local Government Area to return to their farmlands.

The meetings, held in July, involved Turji and other notorious fighters including Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa, and Malam Ila, all of whom reportedly agreed to the peace proposals.

The released hostages, including women and children, had spent nearly four months in captivity.

Some women gave birth while in detention, and one victim suffered a snake bite.

Mallam Yusuf showed footage of the captives navigating treacherous terrain to reach Turji’s camp.

While the clerics continue to push for full disarmament, they refrained from demanding total surrender of arms to avoid exposing Turji to rival factions opposed to the peace process.

The cleric warned that inflammatory remarks by other clerics could jeopardize the fragile truce.

Despite the recent calm in Shinkafi, Turji’s group has a brutal history.

In January 2022, his fighters were linked to massacres that claimed the lives of nearly 200 civilians in Zamfara, including women and children.

His forces have also carried out deadly attacks in Sokoto State, including the burning of a passenger bus that killed 30 people.

Turji’s gang allegedly collected millions in ransom payments, including N6 million from residents of Sardauna village in Sokoto to secure the release of five abductees.

In a chilling incident earlier this year, Turji allegedly executed two kidnapped victims even after their families paid the demanded ransom.

The cleric commended President Bola Tinubu, NSA Nuhu Ribadu, Governor Dauda Lawal, and Senator Shehu Buba for backing a non-kinetic approach to resolving Zamfara’s security crisis.

However, Turji has warned that peace will remain elusive unless security forces and vigilante groups cease attacks on Fulani communities.

In a video message, Turji declared: “Guns and airstrikes will not stop us because we are not afraid of death,” while accusing political leaders of exploiting the crisis for personal gain.

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