Notorious Zamfara terrorist commander, Bello Turji, has released 32 kidnapped victims and surrendered a cache of arms, following a peace initiative led by Islamic clerics, in a rare show of cooperation that has brought temporary calm to parts of the violence-stricken state.
The breakthrough was revealed by Sheikh Musa Yusuf, popularly known as Asadus-Sunnah, during a religious gathering in Kaduna on Monday.
He disclosed that Turji, along with several of his top lieutenants, agreed to key terms after three separate meetings in July held deep within the Fakai forest in Shinkafi Local Government Area.
“We met Turji, Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa, and Malam Ila—all key actors in the region’s insecurity. Contrary to reports, Dan Bakkolo is still alive. They all agreed to our peace proposals,” Sheikh Yusuf stated.
As part of the agreement: 32 hostages, including women and children, were released. Some had spent four months in captivity, with harrowing conditions—one woman gave birth, and another suffered a snake bite while in detention.
The terrorists surrendered weapons in three phases as a gesture of commitment to the peace talks.
Farmers in Shinkafi were granted safe access to their farmlands, and Fulani residents were assured protection from vigilante profiling or reprisals.
Sheikh Yusuf added that since the dialogue, the Shinkafi axis has experienced relative peace, with locals resuming farming activities without fear of abduction.
However, he emphasized that the clerics did not demand a full disarmament from Turji, fearing that it would leave him vulnerable to rival armed factions not participating in the peace process.
“Our objective is gradual disarmament and lasting dialogue. Attacking Turji on social media could derail this fragile peace,” Yusuf warned, urging restraint among critics.
While acknowledging that this deal does not mark the end of terrorist violence in Zamfara, Yusuf stressed that the positive developments in Turji’s territory offer a glimmer of hope for community-led peacebuilding.
