Zamfara Government Hails Notorious Bandit Leader, Turji Bello For Embracing Peace, Attacking Rival Terror Groups
The Zamfara State Government says a notorious leader of a gang of bandits in North-West Nigeria, Muhammad Bello, aka Bello Turji has embraced its peace initiative.
Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Hassan Nasiha, disclosed this during a conference on security in Gusau, the state capital organized by the Students Union of Medina University.
Nasiha commended Turji for deciding to shun banditry, saying his action is bringing about relative peace in Birnin Magaji, Shinkafi and Zurmi local government areas of the state.
According to him, for the past five weeks, there has not been a clash between Fulani and Hausa communities in the LGAs as a result of the dialogue to broker peace between the two warring factions in the state.
“There were several wars which were fought but that did not stop the parties involved from dialogue to resolve their differences through a peace deal,” he said.
“It is in the light of this that Governor Bello Mohammed (Matawalle) thought it is necessary to use kinetic and non-kinetic approaches. It would not be a gun battle or a war using whatever weapons between the bandits and the people.”
He further stated that Turji, who keyed into the amnesty programme of Matawalle, is now launching an offensive against other terrorists in the areas to “ensure peace and stability return to the state”.
Turji Bello is known to have been responsible for numerous massacres and terrorist attacks against civilians and security forces in Nigeria’s North-West region, especially Zamfara and Sokoto states.
In September 2021, Yan Sakai (volunteer security group) operatives attacked a mosque in Gwadabawa, killing 11 people.
Turji responded by leading his bandits to a market in Gonroyo, Sokoto State where they opened fire and killed 50 to 60 civilians.
In December 2021, Turji’s forces attacked a bus in Sabon Birni, setting it on fire and burning the passengers to death. Thirty people died in the ambush.
From January 4 to 6, 2022, over 200 people were killed by terrorists led by Turji in Zamfara State, Nigeria.
Shortly before the attacks, terrorists led a raid on a group of 3,000 cattle only to be confronted by local vigilantes, leading to a gunfight and battle between the two parties
The outnumbered vigilantes lost and many of them were slain by the bandits, degenerating into the killing of villagers.
Beginning around 12:45 pm on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, some gunmen on motorcycles whose numbers have been estimated to be between 300 and 500 entered the town of Kurfar Danya, marking the start of a series of attacks on villages in the Anka and Bukkuyum local government areas of Zamfara
The terrorists shot villagers as they looted and burned their homes to the ground. For two days, armed bandits laid siege to the towns of Kurfa and Rafin-Gero without any challenge posed by the government or its security agencies.
Five settlements were destroyed by the terrorists.
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