Kaduna, Nigeria – A notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, has reportedly surrendered some of his weapons and released 32 kidnapped victims in what is being hailed as a significant breakthrough for peace in Zamfara State. The action follows a series of direct peace talks with Islamic clerics, a grassroots initiative aimed at ending years of violence in the region.
Sheikh Musa Yusuf Assadus Sunnah, one of the clerics involved, revealed that he and other scholars embarked on a perilous journey deep into the Fakai forest in Shinkafi Local Government Area to meet with Turji. The meetings, held on three separate occasions in July, were facilitated at the request of local residents who have long suffered from the siege of armed banditry. According to the cleric, the dialogue was a community-led effort to restore stability.
As a demonstration of his commitment to the peace process, Turji and his associates, including other bandit leaders, reportedly agreed to key proposals. They surrendered a cache of arms and, most notably, released 32 hostages—primarily women and children. Some of the victims had been held for over four months, with reports of women giving birth in captivity and others suffering from ailments like snake bites. The peace accord also stipulates that Fulani residents can return to town without fear of being harmed or profiled by vigilantes.
Since the dialogue, the Shinkafi axis has experienced a period of relative peace, with no reported cases of kidnapping or killings. Residents have resumed farming in areas that were previously inaccessible. While the cleric was cautious about calling for a complete disarmament, fearing attacks from rival factions, he stressed the importance of a gradual approach to achieve lasting peace. The development has sparked cautious optimism among locals, who feel the government has not done enough to address the crisis and are now taking matters into their own hands.
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