Feared Zamfara bandit leader, Bello Turji, has begun peace talks, releasing dozens of captives.
Islamic clerics say weapons were also surrendered after forest meetings with other armed commanders.
Bello Turji, a feared bandit leader operating in Zamfara State, has reportedly handed over some weapons and released 32 kidnapped victims as part of an ongoing peace effort led by Islamic clerics.
One of the clerics involved in the mediation, Musa Yusuf, also known as Asadus-Sunnah, revealed this during a religious event in Kaduna on Monday.
According to Yusuf, the development came after a series of meetings in July with Turji and several other armed leaders deep in Fakai forest, Shinkafi Local Government Area.
The peace mission, he said, was initiated by local residents of Shinkafi who asked Islamic scholars to intervene and convince Turji to stop his group’s attacks, particularly to allow farmers return to their farmlands.
“We met with Turji, Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa, and Malam Ila. Contrary to rumours, Dan Bakkolo is still alive. These individuals are behind the violence in the area, but they have now accepted the peace plan,” Yusuf said.
He explained that as part of the agreement, some weapons were surrendered in stages, and people have started returning to farm in areas previously controlled by the gunmen.
Turji also freed 32 kidnapped persons, with Yusuf showing a video that captured the rough terrain the victims had to cross before reaching his camp.
Yusuf noted that discussions are still ongoing with Turji and his group to secure a total halt to violence. He added that while the group handed over some weapons, they were not pressured to surrender everything at once, so they are not left exposed to attacks from rival groups who are not part of the peace deal.
