Notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, has confirmed that peace talks are ongoing to end years of violence and insecurity in Zamfara State and other parts of Nigeria’s North-West.
Speaking in Hausa, Turji said the aim of the discussions is to restore peace between Fulani herders and Hausa farmers, allowing both communities to return to their normal lives without fear or attacks.
“What we want is peace, peace that will enable Fulani herders and Hausa farmers to live without fear or oppression,” Turji said, according to a report that surfaced online.
However, the bandit kingpin did not hold back in criticising popular Islamic cleric, Sheikh Murtala Bello Asada, who recently dismissed claims that any peace talks were ongoing.
“You sit in the hall (mosque) surrounded by people and on social media saying there are no talks. If you are brave, come and lead the security forces to arrest me yourself, since that is what you always preach,” Turji said in a direct attack on the cleric.
Zamfara and neighbouring states have faced repeated attacks by armed groups, often described as bandits, leading to loss of lives, displacement, and destruction of property. Past efforts at negotiation have had mixed results, with some accusing government and community leaders of granting amnesty to criminals without lasting solutions.
The federal government has yet to officially confirm the status of the new talks, but Turji’s comments have added fuel to the ongoing debate around the use of dialogue in tackling insecurity in the region.
