Notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, has confirmed that he held meetings with officials of the Zamfara State Government during the administration of former governor Bello Matawalle, now the Minister of State for Defence, as part of a peace initiative aimed at curbing insecurity in the state.
Turji, however, dismissed allegations that he was paid ₦30m by the government during the engagement, describing the claim as false and malicious.
In an audio message circulating on social media on Friday, the wanted bandits’ leader refuted accusations by a former state-appointed peace mediator, Musa Kamara, who alleged that Turji received the money during the negotiations.
“By Allah, since I was born, I have never even possessed five million naira at once,” Turji said in the recording. “We were never given the ₦30m being mentioned. What I am doing is not for personal gain.”
He explained that the meetings with government officials were strictly centred on a peace process initiated by the Zamfara State Government at the time, insisting that he neither benefited financially nor acted on behalf of any political interest.
Turji accused Kamara of betrayal and dishonesty, claiming the former mediator had given “false testimony” after being entrusted with facilitating dialogue between the government and armed groups.
“When the Zamfara State Government appointed you, we agreed to peace,” he said. “But what you are saying now is full of lies. I did not even receive three million naira.”
In a dramatic twist, the bandits’ leader levelled serious allegations against former political leaders in Zamfara and Sokoto states, accusing them of fuelling violence by arming groups and encouraging the formation of vigilantes that allegedly targeted Fulani communities.
“We say it openly that former governors of Zamfara and Sokoto states, along with Ahmed Sani Yerima, are responsible for the calamities that befell these states,” Turji claimed, calling for their arrest and thorough investigation.
He further sought to distance himself from political manipulation, insisting that his group was not sponsored or backed by any politician.
“We are not politicians and we are not tools of politicians,” he said. “There is no human being backing us.”
Turji, who has been linked by security agencies to mass killings, kidnappings and large-scale displacement of communities across Zamfara and neighbouring states, avoided addressing specific attacks attributed to his group. Instead, he framed his remarks as a personal defence, saying he was speaking “before Allah alone.”
Nigerian security agencies have repeatedly described Bello Turji as one of the most dangerous bandits operating in the North-West.
The military has previously declared him wanted over terror-related activities, as operations continue to dismantle armed groups responsible for years of bloodshed and instability in the region.
The fresh claims are likely to reignite public debate over past peace deals with armed groups and the alleged role of political actors in the protracted insecurity ravaging Zamfara and other parts of the North-West.
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