Notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has openly confirmed that he once held peace talks with officials of the Zamfara State government during the administration of Bello Matawalle, now Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence.
The revelation has triggered fresh controversy around past negotiations with armed groups in the North-West.
Turji made the disclosure while reacting to claims that he was allegedly paid ₦30 million during the peace engagement.
He strongly denied the allegation and dismissed it as false and misleading.
According to him, no such money was ever paid to him at any point during the talks.
In an audio message currently circulating online, the bandit leader accused Musa Kamara, a former peace mediator appointed by the Zamfara State government, of spreading lies.
He described the claim of a ₦30 million payoff as “a lie” and insisted that he has never possessed such an amount in his lifetime.
“By Allah, since I was born, I have never possessed even five million naira,” Turji said. “What I am doing is not for personal gain. We were never given that ₦30 million you are talking about.”
Turji explained that the meeting with government officials was part of a peace initiative aimed at ending violence in Zamfara State.
The bandit leader maintained that the discussions were not designed for financial benefit and accused Kamara of betraying the trust that was built during the negotiations.
“We agreed on peace when the Zamfara State government appointed you,” Turji said. “But what you are saying now is full of lies. I did not even receive three million naira.”
Beyond denying the payment claim, Turji went further to accuse former political leaders in Zamfara and Sokoto states of being responsible for the prolonged insecurity in the region.
He alleged that some former governors armed groups and encouraged the creation of vigilantes who, according to him, targeted Fulani communities.
“We say openly that former governors of Zamfara and Sokoto, alongside Ahmed Sani Yerima, are responsible for the calamities that befell these states,” Turji claimed.
He called for their arrest and a full investigation into their alleged roles.
In the message, Turji attempted to distance himself from politics, insisting that he is not being sponsored or protected by any political figure. He said his actions were driven by what he described as injustice and insecurity faced by his people.
“We are not politicians, and we are not tools of politicians,” he said. “There is no human being backing us.”
Despite his claims, Turji did not address the numerous accusations linking him to mass killings, kidnappings, and the displacement of communities across Zamfara and neighbouring states.
Instead, he framed his comments as a personal defence, stating that he was speaking “before Allah alone.”
However, security agencies have long identified Bello Turji as one of the most dangerous armed group leaders operating in Nigeria’s North-West. The military had previously declared him wanted over terror-related activities, with ongoing operations targeting his network.
