Notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has claimed in a viral video that two former governors from Zamfara and Sokoto states bear major responsibility for the insecurity ravaging parts of northern Nigeria. He accused the past administrations of laying the groundwork for today’s violence through decisions he said worsened tensions and communal distrust.
Turji alleged that the former leaders armed local vigilante groups, popularly called Yan Banga, in ways that he claims targeted Fulani communities and escalated reprisals. According to him, those policies turned what should have been community protection initiatives into forces that deepened ethnic and social divisions.
In the same video, Turji addressed controversy over his past contacts with the Zamfara State government when Bello Matawalle, now Minister of State for Defence, was governor. He admitted taking part in peace talks with the then administration but denied receiving a ₦30 million payoff, insisting he never collected even a fraction of that amount.
Turji said his meetings at the Government House were aimed at reducing violence, not securing personal enrichment. He also claimed his group suffered heavy casualties during an airstrike under Matawalle’s tenure, saying around 70 people, including women and children, were buried after the attack.
Despite the sensational nature of his accusations, several sources close to the former governors strongly rejected Turji’s account. They argued that a man repeatedly named by security agencies as one of the region’s most dangerous terror leaders cannot be seen as a credible witness on governance matters.
One source quoted in reports said Turji was simply trying to portray himself as a victim and shift blame for atrocities linked to his gang. Another insisted that “all that he has said is lies”, urging the public not to “place a premium on the words of a terrorist”.
Vanguard also reported that efforts to get official reactions from the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation on Turji’s claims were unsuccessful as of press time. The allegations come at a time when security forces have intensified operations against Turji’s network, recently killing one of his top lieutenants, Kachalla Kallamu, in Sokoto.
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