Notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has stirred fresh controversy by publicly accusing two former governors in the North-West of laying the foundation for the region’s long-running insecurity.
In a viral video that surfaced on Saturday, Turji specifically named a former Sokoto State governor and former Zamfara State governor as being “responsible for the calamities that befell these states,” and called for their investigation and arrest.
Turji’s core allegation centers on the political leadership’s actions in arming local vigilante groups, known as ‘Yan Banga,’ which he claims disproportionately targeted Fulani communities and escalated violence, thereby sparking the crisis.
Turji insisted that he is not a political tool, stating, “We are not politicians, and we are not tools of politicians. There is no human being backing us.”
Efforts to get a reaction from the named former governors were unsuccessful. However, sources close to them vehemently denied the claims, insisting that the words of a terrorist should not be believed and that Turji is simply trying to portray himself as a victim.
According to one of the sources, “why would anyone want to place a premium on the words of a terrorist? Is it not clear that the terrorist is just trying to present himself as a victim? It is all lies.”
Another source close to one of the governors told Vanguard: “I can confirm to you that Turji is telling lies. Somebody who has serially killed is the one you want to believe. All that he has said is lies.”
The Ministry of Justice and Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation also failed to comment on the development.
Turji’s video also served as a direct response to a former peace negotiator, Musa Kamarawa, who had accused Turji of receiving ₦30 million as part of a non-kinetic engagement process with the Zamfara State government.
Turji confirmed participating in a series of peace meetings at the Government House in Gusau during the administration of former Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle (now Minister of State for Defence). However, he firmly denied receiving any financial inducement.
He said “By Allah, since I was born, I have never possessed even five million naira. What I am doing is not for personal gain. We were never given the N30 million you are talking about.”
He stressed that the meetings were solely aimed at reducing violence and restoring peace, not for personal financial gain, and accused Kamarawa of peddling “false and malicious testimony” and betraying the trust built during negotiations.