Bandit kingpin, Bello Turji reportedly frees 32 hostages and surrenders arms in peace deal

Bello Turji, a notorious terror leader operating in Nigeria’s north-west region, has reportedly released 32 kidnapped individuals and surrendered a portion of his weapons as part of ongoing peace negotiations.

Premium Times reported that the development was made public by Islamic cleric Musa Yusuf, widely known as Asadus-Sunnah, during a religious gathering in Kaduna. According to Yusuf, the move followed a series of dialogue sessions held in July with Turji and other armed groups deep within Fakai forest, located in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Yusuf stated that the talks were initiated by residents of Shinkafi who appealed to clerics for mediation, urging them to convince Turji and his associates to halt attacks and grant farmers safe access to their lands.

“We met Mr Turji, Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa, and Malam Ila. The speculation that Dan Bakkolo was killed is not true,” Yusuf said. “These individuals are responsible for the insecurity in the area, and they all agreed to the peace proposals. We agreed that the Fulanis must be allowed to go to town without being stereotyped or killed by the vigilante.”

Yusuf noted that some of the armed groups surrendered weapons in three stages, and that farming activities have now resumed in several areas previously under the control of Turji’s fighters. He also confirmed that Turji released 32 kidnapped victims, providing video footage that showed the difficult terrain the captives traversed to regain their freedom.

While clerics have continued engagement with Turji’s faction, Yusuf explained that they have refrained from demanding a full disarmament. He said such a move could put Turji at risk from rival armed groups not involved in the peace process.

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