Terrorist implicates minister, says failed peace deal allowed bandits to operate from cities

A terrorism kingpin, Bello Turji, has narrated how the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, allegedly empowered terrorists when he was governor of Zamfara State.

As governor between 2019 and 2023, Mr Matawalle initiated an amnesty scheme that provided financial rewards and protection for bandits who surrendered their arms and abandoned criminality.

However, Mr Turji said the failed deal merely empowered some of his colleagues now residing in the cities from where they command banditry gangs operating in the bush.

Mr Turji stated this in a video released on 18 July in which he is seen standing beside an unidentified accomplice with guns.

He said the terrorists did not surrender their arms as stipulated in the deal but continued to carry out attacks through their boys.

Mr Turji claimed that the policy of the former governor was the reason insecurity escalated in Zamfara and other North-western states.

Mr Turji said he killed one of the bandits’ leaders in his Shinkafi Local Government Area for peace to reign, but the governor later allegedly sabotaged his efforts.

“Any person living in Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Isa (Sokoto State) cannot deny this claim. There is a particular group of bandits whom the former governor pampered. I chased the group from Shinkafi, I killed their leader, Dudu, for peace to reign in Shinkafi. The group had 200 arms, but the governor later hosted them (Dudu’s boys) at the Government House.

“But the government failed to ask the group to surrender their weapons. Another group led by Bashari Maniya has over 300 guns. I seized 30 from them. Where are the remaining? And they never surrendered their weapons to the government”, Mr Turji claimed.

He alleged that some of the bandit leaders involved in the peace truce moved to the Sokoto metropolis after giving their arms to their boys kidnapping for ransom. He said the boys were making returns to their leaders living in Sokoto town.

He named some of them as Bashari Maniya, Kabiru, and Buhari

“Dan Maigari is the junior brother to Bashari Maniya; he has 150 guns, his hideout is in the Maradun riverine area, and he is responsible for attacks in the Maradun axis.

“Ali is a boy to Kabiru Maniya, and he is responsible for attacks in Tangaza axis. Both Bashiri and Kabiru are residing in the Sokoto metropolis, enjoying their lives. One other person, Buhari, is also in Sokoto town enjoying himself.

“Three weeks ago, a younger brother of Buhari was apprehended with guns in the Sokoto metropolis. Let anyone come out and deny this. I can come forward with video evidence where Kabiru is seen firing machine guns.

“The question now is, where are the machine guns after they claimed that they have embraced peace and settled in Sokoto town? Who did he give the machine guns? Let the government explain this to Nigerians, who are killing the people. Let them stop blaming Bello Turji for the killings and kidnapping.

“People that are being kidnapped in Sokoto metropolis and taken to the back of Achida and Goronyo, who is responsible for the kidnapping? Is that also Bello Turji? Who is living in peace in Shinkafi?” Mr Turji queried.

PREMIUM TIMES tried unsuccessfully to get the response of the minister. The phone contact of his spokesperson, Ahmad Dan-Wudil, did not connect throughout Sunday morning.

Muhammad Bello, aka Turji

Who is Bello Turji?

Mr Turji, like several other terrorists operating in the North-west and North-central Niger State, has amassed wealth from illegal taxes they impose on local communities and ransom from kidnapped victims.

Named Muhammadu Bello at birth, Mr Turji carried out the December 2021 road ambush in which at least 20 travellers, including pregnant women and children, were burnt alive in Sokoto State.

A few weeks after that incident, Mr Turji wrote an open letter to former President Muhammadu Buhari and the emir of Shinkafi, outlining terms for a ceasefire in the North-west and requesting a peace agreement.

In the letter, he said he was ready to surrender his arms if five conditions were met.

The conditions were the dissolution of unofficial vigilante groups in the North-west, a meeting with traditional rulers and religious leaders, a stop of the ‘marginalisation’ of Fulanis, honest discussions between bandits, traditional rulers, and politicians, and the participation of first-class emirs in a security meeting.

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This was after the failed truce with the Zamfara State government in 2019.

Mr Turji is among the 97 terrorists declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters.

He escaped death twice after the air component of Operation Hadarin Daji bombed his house in 2021 and 2022.