In a major development in Nigeria’s troubled northwest, notorious terror leader Bello Turji has reportedly released 32 kidnapped victims and surrendered some of his weapons as part of an ongoing peace process brokered by Islamic clerics in Zamfara State.
The move, aimed at de-escalating violence in Shinkafi Local Government Area, was disclosed by one of the clerics, Musa Yusuf, popularly known as Asadus-Sunnah during a religious gathering in Kaduna on Monday.
Yusuf said the peace effort began in July following appeals from residents of Shinkafi, who urged religious leaders to mediate with Turji and his fighters to allow farming activities to resume in areas previously under militant control.
“We held several meetings in the Fakai forest with Turji and other known fighters like Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa, and Malam Ila,” Yusuf revealed. “Contrary to rumours, Dan Bakkolo is alive. All of them agreed to the peace proposals we presented.”
As part of the agreement, the group reportedly surrendered some arms in phases and granted access to forest farmlands previously restricted due to armed violence. Yusuf also showed a video capturing the treacherous path the released captives had to navigate to leave Turji’s camp.
While the clerics welcomed the release of the 32 hostages as a breakthrough, they emphasized that negotiations are still ongoing to achieve a full cessation of hostilities.
Yusuf explained that they intentionally avoided demanding the complete surrender of arms to prevent exposing Turji to potential retaliation from rival armed factions not involved in the talks.
“We also agreed that Fulani residents should no longer be harassed or killed by vigilante groups while moving into town,” he added, highlighting an effort to reduce ethnic and communal tensions that often fuel the violence.
Zamfara State has remained one of the epicenters of armed banditry in Nigeria, with hundreds killed and thousands displaced in recent years. The federal government has previously declared Turji and other militant leaders wanted for terrorism.
Although fragile, the cleric-led initiative marks one of the few community-driven attempts at fostering dialogue with armed groups in a region largely shaped by cycles of violence, reprisal, and mistrust.
