Notorious terrorism kingpin, Bello Turji, has released 32 kidnapped victims and agreed to cease attacks on farmers following a series of peace meetings with Islamic clerics in Zamfara State.
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One of the clerics, Sheikh Musa Yusuf (popularly known as Asadus-Sunnah), disclosed the development during a religious gathering on Monday in Kaduna. He said the peace initiative, initiated by residents of Shinkafi Local Government Area, was aimed at restoring farming access and reducing violence in the region.
According to him, the clerics met Turji and other notorious fighters — including Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa, and Malam Ila — three times in July in the Fakai forest. Despite earlier reports that Dan Bakkolo had been killed, Yusuf confirmed he was alive and participated in the dialogue.
“These people are the ones terrorising the axis, and they all agreed to the peace proposals,” Yusuf said. “One of the conditions was to surrender some of their arms to show commitment to the process. They complied in three phases and allowed Shinkafi residents access to their farms across the river.”
As part of the agreement, Turji released 32 captives including women and children who had spent about four months in captivity. Some of the women reportedly gave birth while in the terrorists’ custody, and one suffered a snake bite. A video of the released hostages navigating rough terrain was presented during the Kaduna event.
Yusuf noted that since the agreement, the Shinkafi axis has witnessed relative calm, and residents have resumed farming activities without fear of further abductions.
He clarified that Turji was not asked to surrender all his weapons to avoid leaving him vulnerable to rival factions, but that efforts were ongoing to persuade him to embrace total peace.
Yusuf also cautioned fellow clerics and critics to stop making inflammatory remarks about Turji on social media, warning that such actions could derail the fragile peace process.
While acknowledging that the truce may not end terrorism in Zamfara entirely, Yusuf emphasized that many communities under Turji’s control were already reaping the benefits.
He praised President Bola Tinubu, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, and Senator Shehu Buba for supporting the non-kinetic approach in addressing insecurity in the region.
In a past video statement, Turji warned that peace in Zamfara would remain elusive until military forces and vigilantes ceased attacks on Fulani communities, adding that the ongoing political blame game between Governor Lawal and his predecessor, now Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, was worsening the crisis.
“Guns and airstrikes will not stop us because we are not afraid of death,” Turji had said.
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