The Zamfara State Committee on Armed Banditry and related Offences says it will not take notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji seriously, despite his recently embracing peace, until he publicly lays down his arms and announces he has repented from his old ways.
The state Deputy Governor had on Saturday told participants at a Security Conference that BelloTurji had embraced dialogue and pledged to turn against other terrorists
The Committee does acknowledge that for over six months, there were no record of attacks or mass abduction of Persons in the Northern part of the state where Bello Turji Operates
A few Months after Bello Matawalle’s resumption in office as the Zamfara State Governor in 2019, he introduced a peace dialogue with bandits as a way of ending the over decade long issues of Banditry, Cattle rustling and Kidnapping for ransom
Several bandits Including Auwalun Daudawa who masterminded the abduction of Students in Kankara, Katsina state in December 2020 publicly surrendered their arms and toed the path of peace
Barely two years into the programme, some of the bandits returned to the bush and resumed operations
A Development that forced the state Governor Bello Matawalle in September 2021 to cancel the peace dialogue and direct citizens to defend themselves against any attack
Since then, several bandit groups had gained notoriety operating in several parts with bandit leader Bello Turji particularly feared for how brutally his gang operated
Now he has decided to lay down his arms and embrace please and further threatened to deal with any bandit who refuses to stop attacking Communities and Highways
It is not surprising that the State Committee on Banditry and related Offences is taking his truce offer with a pinch of salt
It insists that until Bello Turji publicly surrenderd his arms and renounces publicly, they will not consider him serious
The Committee is not happy at delay in Judgement for Suspected bandits, Informants and security operatives caught aiding Banditry.
