Infamous bandit leader, Bello Turji, has demanded an end to attacks on Fulanis by security forces and vigilantes in Zamfara State as a condition for restoring peace in the region. In a newly released video, Turji, armed and seated on a new motorcycle, accused both the current governor, Dauda Lawal, and his predecessor, Bello Matawalle, of politicizing the ongoing insecurity in the state.
Turji, who reportedly fled Zamfara due to intensified military operations, stated that the local security entities were contributing to the violence, insisting that the attacks on Fulanis must stop. He called for collaboration, not conflict, to resolve the security crisis, expressing that “guns and airstrikes” would not bring peace.
In the video, Turji also criticized the ongoing political blame game between Governor Lawal and Matawalle, claiming that neither leader has the interests of the people at heart. He said, "Labelling each other as terrorist sponsors won’t solve the problem. When Matawalle was governor, who was sponsoring us? When Abdulaziz Yari was in power, who was sponsoring us? Nobody except God."
Turji went on to explain that the conflict dates back to the time of former governor Ahmed Yerima, under whose administration grazing reserves were sold off, igniting tensions. He added that subsequent governors, including Muhmud Shinkafi and Abdulaziz Yari, failed to resolve the crisis.
Acknowledging the recent killing of his mentor, Halilu Sububu, Turji made it clear that the violence would continue unless the killings of Fulanis in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, and Niger states ceased. "Your only plan is to exterminate the Fulani race, but God has been protecting us. Even if you kill us, it’s because God ordained it, not by your power,” he declared.
