…As public figures demand justice
Zamfara terrorist kingpin, Bello Turji, has reportedly released 32 kidnapped victims and surrendered a portion of his arms following a series of peace negotiations led by Islamic clerics in the Fakai Forest, Shinkafi local government area.
However, the gesture has sparked national debate, with some prominent voices demanding accountability for his past atrocities.
At a religious gathering in Kaduna on Monday, renowned Islamic scholar Musa Yusuf, popularly known as ‘Asadus-Sunnah’, disclosed that his team held three separate meetings in July with Turji and other bandit leaders—including Ɗan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa, and Malam Ila—to negotiate a ceasefire and facilitate farming access for local residents.
According to Yusuf, the clerics were engaged by Shinkafi residents desperate to return to their farmlands, many of which are situated in remote, terrorist-controlled areas. He said: “The bandits surrendered arms in phases and agreed to allow people access to their farms. They also released 32 captives, including women and children—some of whom had been in captivity for four months”.
Yusuf shared video evidence showing the released victims navigating rough terrain from Turji’s enclave. He added that some female captives had given birth while in detention, while another suffered a snake bite.
Although the cleric admitted that the surrendered weapons were only partial and symbolic—meant to demonstrate goodwill—he stressed that total disarmament was not demanded to avoid making Turji vulnerable to rival gangs. He urged critics, particularly online commentators, to refrain from inflammatory statements, warning they could derail the fragile peace in the area.
The clerics’ intervention has brought a temporary calm to the Shinkafi axis, with farmers reportedly returning to their lands without fear. Yusuf commended President Bola Tinubu, National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribaɗu, Zamfara state governor, Dauda Lawal, and Senator Shehu Buba for supporting the non-kinetic strategy.
However, the development has drawn criticism from several quarters, particularly from those insisting on justice over appeasement.
Former media aide to late President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, condemned any notion of leniency for Turji. In a strongly worded post on his official X handle, Ahmad wrote: “Surrender or no surrender, I hope Bello Turji doesn’t think he would just turn around, release captives and then expect to walk away free. You cannot unleash terror, inflict pain, and commit unimaginable violence against innocent people and then surrender”.
Turji, in a past video statement, had claimed that violence would persist in Zamfara unless security forces and vigilantes ceased attacks on Fulani communities. He criticised both Governor Dauda Lawal and former governor Bello Matawalle, now Minister of State for Defence, for politicising the security crisis and failing to prioritise the people’s welfare.
While the cleric-led peace efforts have bought a temporary reprieve, the larger question remains unresolved: should surrendered terrorists be rehabilitated or prosecuted?
As public pressure mounts, the Federal Government may soon be forced to clarify its stance on non-kinetic peace deals and the justice owed to victims of terrorism.
