Notorious bandit kingpin Bello Turji has sparked outrage after openly accusing two former northern governors of being the real masterminds behind the years of terror and instability that have crippled Zamfara and Sokoto states.
In a defiant outburst, Turji claimed he once sat at the table for peace talks with the Zamfara State Government under a former administration but angrily rejected claims that he was bought over with ₦30 million or any other inducement to embrace peace.
While the accused former governors remained unreachable—ignoring phone calls, text messages and WhatsApp messages—sources close to them dismissed Turji’s claims as desperate lies from a hardened criminal. One source mocked the allegations, asking why anyone would choose to believe a man known for bloodshed. Another bluntly described Turji’s statements as fiction, insisting a serial killer had no moral standing to accuse anyone.
The Federal Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation also kept mute, fueling further controversy around the explosive claims.
In a viral video circulating online, Turji went further, accusing past political leaders in Zamfara and Sokoto of sowing the seeds of chaos by allegedly arming vigilante groups known as Yan Banga. He claimed these groups targeted Fulani communities, turning local disputes into full-blown violence and plunging the region into prolonged insecurity.
Without mincing words, Turji demanded the arrest and investigation of the former governors, holding them directly responsible for what he described as the calamity that destroyed lives and communities.
“We say it openly—former governors of Zamfara and Sokoto are behind the disasters in these states,” he declared.
The bandit leader also sought to clear himself of political sponsorship, insisting he was not a pawn in any political game.
“We are not politicians, and we are not tools of politicians. No human being is backing us,” Turji said, adding that his statements were made “before Allah alone.”
Though he avoided addressing reports of fresh negotiations with the Federal Government, Turji framed his comments as a raw self-defence, throwing a grenade into Nigeria’s already heated debate over who truly bears responsibility for the North’s unending insecurity.
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