Notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji has agreed to reduce the ransom he imposed on the people of Moriki town in Zamfara State, from N50 million to N30 million.
The ransom is reportedly compensation for the killing of Turji’s cows by the new commander of the Army base stationed in Moriki.
The villagers have been given a deadline of Wednesday to pay the reduced amount. Each family Head is expected to contribute N10,000, while unmarried adults have been mandated to pay N2,000.
It was gathered that despite the Army commander’s advice to not pay the ransom, the villagers are proceeding with the payment due to fear of Turji’s brutality.
It was gathered that the villagers are terrified that if they fail to meet the demand, Turji will unleash more terror attacks on them, leaving them vulnerable and unprotected.
According to reports, about fifteen local politicians and social activists are still being held hostage by Turji. They were abducted from within Moriki, despite the presence of soldiers stationed in the village.
