Bandit leader Bello Turji denies receiving N30m, vehicles during Zamfara peace talks

Bello Turji, notorious bandit leader has denied allegations that he received N30 million and vehicles from the Zamfara State Government during past peace negotiations, insisting that his activities were never driven by personal financial gain.

Turji made the claims in a video that has gone viral on social media, responding to accusations by Musa Kamarawa, a former peace mediator appointed by the Sokoto and Zamfara state governments to facilitate dialogue with armed groups operating in the North-West.

Kamarawa had alleged that Turji was paid N30 million across several meetings with Bello Muhammad Matawalle, former Governor of Zamfara State, now the Minister of State for Defence during engagements held at the Government House in Gusau.

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According to him, vehicles were also allegedly distributed to the bandit leader as part of the peace efforts.

However, Turji dismissed the allegations as outright false, swearing by Allah that he had never possessed such sums of money in his life.

“By Allah, since I was born, I have never possessed even N5 million. What I am doing is not for personal gain. We were never given the N30 million you are talking about”, Turji said in the video.

He accused Kamarawa of betraying the trust built during the peace negotiations and of giving what he described as “false and mischievous testimony.”

According to Turji, the mediator had been appointed by the Zamfara State Government to broker peace, but had now turned around to make allegations he claimed were fabricated.

“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 N3 million”, Turji said.

The bandit leader also sought to distance himself from political actors, rejecting claims that he operates on behalf of politicians or serves as a tool for any political interest.

“We are not politicians, and we are not tools of politicians. There is no human being backing us”, he said.

In a further escalation, Turji blamed past political leadership for the prolonged insecurity in the North-West, accusing Attahiru Bafarawa, former Sokoto State governor and Ahmed Yerima, former Zamfara State governor of contributing to the crisis.

He called for their arrest and investigation, alleging that the roots of the violence predated the administration of Bello Matawalle.

While Turji did not address reports of any ongoing or recent negotiations with the Federal Government, he framed his comments as a personal defence, stressing that he was speaking “before Allah alone.”

The renewed public exchanges have triggered concern among residents and community leaders in Sokoto State, who warn that the controversy risks being politicised ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Sani Aliyu, a community leader in Sokoto metropolis, described the social media uproar as politically motivated.

“This has little to do with justice or security. It is all about positioning for 2027. Ordinary people are the ones suffering while politicians trade accusations”, he said.

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