Bandit leader Bello Turji denies claim by Matawalle's aide that he was paid N30m to lay down arms

NOTORIOUS terrorist and armed bandit Bello Turji has denied claims by former Zamfara State governor and current minister of state for defence Bello Matawalle that he collected N30m ($20,650) as part of a settlement aimed at getting him to lay down arms.

One of the most wanted men in Nigeria, Turji operates from camps in Zamfara State, from where his reign of terror allows him to exert his authority over large swathes of territory. In February this year, he even threw down the gauntlet to the Nigerian authorities by imposing a N22m ($15,000) levy on four villages in Sokoto State demanding it as compensation for the death of one of his lieutenants during a recent military operation.

Between 2019 and 2023, Mr Matawalle was the Zamfara State governor and it a bid to end the banditry and Turji's reign of terror, he opened talks with the bandits. Recently, One of Governor Matawalle' former aides claimed that his government paid Turji N30m to lay down his arms and disband his private army but the bandit leader has denied this.

Musa Kamarawa, a former peace mediator appointed by the Sokoto and Zamfara state governments, had alleged in a viral video that the former Zamfara governor held meetings with bandit leaders, including Turji, at the Government House in Gusau and distributed cash and vehicles to them. He specifically claimed that Turji collected ₦30m during the peace initiative.

In a robust response to Mr Kamarawa, Turji dismissed the allegations as outright falsehood, insisting that although peace talks took place, neither he nor any Fulani leader acting on his behalf received money or vehicles. He added that the meetings with government officials were solely aimed at reducing violence and restoring peace, stressing that he did not benefit financially from the engagement

Turji said: “By Allah, since I was born, I have never possessed even N5m, What I am doing is not for personal gain. We were never given the ₦30m you are talking about.

“When the Zamfara State government appointed you, we agreed on peace but what you are saying now is full of lies and deceit. I did not even receive N3m naira.”

Turji accused Mr Kamarawa of betraying the trust built during the negotiations and peddling what he described as false and malicious testimony. He went further to accuse past political leaderships in Zamfara and Sokoto states of laying the foundation for the region’s long-running insecurity.

Furthermore, Turji alleged that former administrations armed vigilante groups, popularly known as Yan Banga, which he claimed disproportionately targeted Fulani communities and escalated violence. He specifically named former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, and former Zamfara State governor, Senator Ahmed Yerima, calling for their arrest and investigation over what he described as their roles in the crisis.

Turji distanced himself from any political influence, insisting that he was not acting on behalf of any politician or interest group. Nigerian security agencies have repeatedly identified Bello Turji as one of the most dangerous armed group leaders operating in the northwest geo-political zone, with the military previously declaring him wanted for terror-related activities.