Notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has confirmed that he held meetings with officials of the Zamfara State Government during the administration of former governor Bello Matawalle, now Minister of State for Defence, but denied claims that he received ₦30 million during the engagement.
Turji made the disclosure in an audio message circulating online, where he dismissed allegations by Musa Kamara, a former peace mediator appointed by the Zamfara State Government, describing the claim of a cash payment as false.
Swearing by Allah, Turji said he had never possessed such an amount of money in his life and insisted that the peace talks were not conducted for personal gain.
According to him, the meeting formed part of a government-led peace initiative, and he did not benefit financially from the process. He accused Kamara of betraying the trust established during the negotiations and giving false testimony about the alleged payment.
Turji further alleged that former political leaders in Zamfara and Sokoto states contributed to the insecurity in the region by sponsoring armed groups and encouraging vigilante activities that targeted Fulani communities.
He specifically accused former governors of Zamfara and Sokoto states, as well as former governor Ahmed Sani Yerima, of responsibility for the violence in the area, calling for their arrest and investigation.
The bandit leader denied acting on behalf of any political interest, insisting that he and his group were not sponsored by politicians.
Turji, who has been linked by security agencies to killings, kidnappings, and mass displacement across Zamfara and neighbouring states, did not directly address specific attacks attributed to his group.
Instead, he framed his comments as a personal defence, stating that he was answering before God.
Nigerian security agencies have repeatedly identified Bello Turji as one of the most dangerous armed group leaders operating in the North-West and have previously declared him wanted for terror-related activities.
