Notorious terrorism kingpin Bello Turji has released 32 kidnapped victims and pledged to halt attacks on farmers in Zamfara State following peace talks with Islamic clerics.
The development was revealed by a prominent cleric, Musa Yusuf, popularly known as Asadus-Sunnah, during a religious gathering on Monday in Kaduna.
According to Yusuf, Turji also surrendered some weapons after a series of peace meetings held in July within the Fakai forest in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara. He said local residents had requested the clerics’ intervention to help them safely access their farmland, which falls within territories controlled by Turji and his men.
“We met with Turji, Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa, and Malam Ila. Contrary to rumours, Dan Bakkolo is still alive. These are the individuals responsible for terrorising the area, and they all agreed to our peace proposals, including surrendering some of their weapons as a show of commitment,” Yusuf stated.
He added that the arms were handed over in three phases, and Turji’s faction agreed to allow residents to return to their farms across the river near his enclave. The clerics also secured an agreement that Fulani residents would be allowed into town without fear of harassment or profiling by local vigilante groups.
“As part of the agreement, Turji released 32 kidnapped captives, including women and children,” Yusuf said, showing a video of the freed individuals and the rough terrain they traversed to reach the bandit leader’s camp.
Many of the hostages had spent nearly four months in captivity. Yusuf revealed that some of the women gave birth during their detention, while at least one suffered a snake bite.
He said the Shinkafi axis has since experienced relative peace, with residents now returning to their farms without fear of abduction. However, he emphasized that the peace process is ongoing and fragile.
“We are still persuading Turji to accept full disarmament, but we did not demand he surrender all his weapons at once to avoid leaving him vulnerable to rival groups who oppose the peace effort,” Yusuf explained.
The cleric also cautioned fellow religious leaders against making inflammatory statements online about Turji, warning that such remarks could derail the peace process.
While acknowledging that this agreement won’t end terrorism across Zamfara, Yusuf maintained that Turji’s axis has seen tangible improvement.
He commended President Bola Tinubu, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, and Senator Shehu Buba for supporting non-kinetic approaches to tackling insecurity in the region.
In a previous video message in October, Turji had warned that lasting peace in Zamfara would remain elusive unless security forces and vigilante groups stopped targeting Fulani communities. He criticized both Governor Lawal and former Governor Bello Matawalle—now Minister of State for Defence—accusing them of playing politics with people’s lives.
“Airstrikes and bullets won’t stop us. We’re not afraid of death. If you truly want peace, work with us,” Turji had declared.
