Notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, begs for dialogue in new video

Following the heat being mounted on him by troops of the Nigerian Army and the killings of many of his comrades in arm, notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji has called for dialogue with the federal government to end armed banditry and violence in Zamfara State.

In a five minutes, 40 seconds video he released on social media on Tuesday, Turji said he was willing to lay down his arms as well as stop his murderous activities if the government is willing to go into dialogue with him.

He however, accused the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle of
politicising insecurity in the state.

He noted that if the security forces and vigilantes stopped attacking and killing Fulani people, peace would return to the state.

In the video, Bello who sat on a motorcycle in a forest with a rifle in his hand and another beside him, speaking in Hausa language, said:

“Governor Dauda Lawal and Bello Matawalle will not help. I want the people of Zamfara to understand that they are just politicians without the interest of the people of Zamfara in their hearts.

“When Matawalle was the governor who was sponsoring us? Similarly, when Abdulaziz Yari was the governor who was sponsoring us? Nobody is sponsoring us except God.

“It was during the administration of Yerima that the government sold out the grazing reserve and legalised the killing of the Fulanis. When Muhmud Shinkafi came on board, he tried unsuccessfully to address the problem. Abdulaziz Yari came and empowered the vigilante, but we are still struggling.”

He however, insisted that he and his fighters are not afraid of death.

“This is why we are calling on all of you to come and collaborate with us for peace to reign and stop the bloodbath in Zamfara. Guns and airstrikes will not stop us because we are not afraid of death.”

He stated that the killing of other bandit leaders like his mentor, Halilu Sububu and others by airstrikes from the Nigerian Air Force has not deterred others as it had even emboldened the younger generation of fighters to continue with their bloodbath on the people.

“Kachallah Halilu Sububu is not the first person to be killed; several others were killed. The killing of Halilu Sububu will not deter us from doing what we are doing unless you stop killing our brothers in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, and Niger states.

“Your only plan is to exterminate the Fulani race while God has been protecting us. Even if you kill us, it’s God who ordained that to happen, but it’s not by your power,” Bello reiterated.

It is still unclear how the authorities will react to his call for dialogue, seeing that he has murdered dozens of innocent Nigerians, and made hundreds of millions from his kidnapping spree.

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