Bandits’ leader Turji claims that the FG and military benefit from the unrest in the northwest

Bello Turji, a kingpin of the bandits, has asserted that the federal government is to blame for the ongoing banditry in the northwest and other areas.He claimed that high-ranking officials, military personnel, and security chiefs profit greatly from the cruel practices.

In a telephone interview with an online Hausa television that was being watched in Gusau by gospelcable, Turji revealed this. He claimed that the government is deceiving the trusting and gullible citizens, highlighting the fact that in reality, the government was not prepared to salvage the situation in terms of putting an end to the obnoxious menace.

I'm prepared for either peace or war, depending on what the government desires. He bemoaned that the government would choose whether it wanted peace or war.

According to him, in August 2022, there was a peace accord between him and the government for him to cease fire which he obliged for the sake of peace but within a month, precisely on the 18th of September 2022, my house at Fakai village in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State was attacked by the Nigeria Air Force operatives.

“Even after the peace agreement was signed by both parties, the Air Force attack at my Fakai residence claimed the lives of twelve people, including my relatives.”

The kingpin of the bandits bemoaned the fact that since he and the government reached a peace agreement, the residents of the axis have been living in great peace and carrying out their legal activities, such as farming, without interference. He claimed that the locals get along well with his gang members.

Turji further lamented that he was sabotaged by the federal government which allowed the military operatives to bombard his residence and killed innocent people, saying the government claims to be looking for peace but doesn't love peace but only pretending.

The federal government is pressuring me to renounce the peace accord that I voluntarily signed by bombing my home and killing twelve innocent people.

Since he signed the peace accord, his gang members have not attacked anyone, unless after the military attack on his home, according to him. Instead, the security agents would be killing innocent and vulnerable people and destroying their property, and they would hold him accountable for the attacks he is not aware of.

“I always feel embarrassed whenever my name is mentioned in one attack or the other even when the attacks were carried out by another bandits' leader which I don't even know, they would associate me with such attacks”

“I want to tell the general public that the government they think is protecting them is their number one enemy. If the government want to end insecurity, it would do so but what the military personnel, security chiefs and other individuals are gaining from banditry can never allow them to end insecurity, especially in the north”