Bello Turji, notorious terrorist, surrenders, frees 32 hostages

Bello Turji, Zamfara State’s most notorious terrorist commander, has reportedly released 32 kidnapped victims and pledged to halt attacks on farmers in the region.

The development follows a series of peace talks led by Islamic clerics, raising cautious hopes of calm in a part of Nigeria long plagued by deadly violence and mass abductions.

Sheikh Yusuf leader of the clerical delegation, widely known as Asadus-Sunnah, revealed this during a religious gathering held on Monday in Kaduna State.

According to him, the engagement with Turji took place over three separate meetings in July, deep within Fakai forest in Shinkafi Local Government Area.

Yusuf said his delegation was invited by residents of Shinkafi who were desperate to access their farmlands without fear of violence.

The clerics met with Turji and other key terrorist figures in the area, including Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa and Malam Ila. Contrary to earlier rumours, Yusuf confirmed that Dan Bakkolo is alive.

“These are the men responsible for terrorising the Shinkafi axis. They all agreed to the peace proposal, one of which required them to surrender part of their weapons to demonstrate commitment”, Yusuf said.

The disarmament process reportedly happened in three phases, and in exchange, residents were granted safe passage to their farmlands in and around the forest.

The deal also included an agreement to ensure that Fulani people could safely enter towns without fear of reprisals from local vigilante groups.

Turji freed 32 kidnapped victims, many of whom had been held for about four months.

According to Yusuf, some of the women gave birth in captivity, while one victim suffered a snake bite before being released.

A video clip shown during the gathering revealed the difficult terrain the victims crossed to reach safety.

Yusuf said the peace initiative had already produced tangible results, with relative calm returning to the Shinkafi axis.

Farmers, who for months were unable to access their fields, are now cultivating crops without fear of abduction.

However, the cleric noted that the effort is still a work in progress as the clerics deliberately stopped short of asking Turji to surrender all his weapons, citing concerns that doing so could make him vulnerable to rival armed groups that are not part of the current peace process.

“This is a gradual process. Our aim is lasting peace, but we must move with wisdom,” Yusuf said.

He also cautioned fellow Islamic clerics against making inflammatory remarks about Turji on social media, warning that such actions could sabotage the fragile peace initiative.

Yusuf acknowledged that Turji’s agreement alone would not end all terrorist activities in Zamfara but stressed that the communities under his control are already experiencing a level of safety that had been absent for years.

He went on to commend President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, and Shehu Buba (Senator) for backing non-military or non-kinetic, strategies to resolve the crisis.

In a separate video message from October, Turji reiterated his call for an end to attacks on Fulani communities by both security forces and local vigilantes.

“Peace will remain elusive in Zamfara until the killings of our people stop,” he said.

He further described the ongoing political blame game between Governor Lawal and Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence as self-serving and disconnected from the needs of the people.