‘I’m not afraid to die,’ wanted bandit kingpin, Turji, speaks from hideout

Wanted bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, has dared the security forces, saying he is not afraid to be killed. 

He, however, called for dialogue with the federal government to end armed violence in Zamfara State.

Turji, who is among the 43 terrorists in the North West declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters, made the call in a five-minute and forty-second video.

In the video, Turji confirmed the killing of his boss, Halilu Sububu, saying that Sububu’s killing would not silence him.

• Give us economic relief as anniversary gift, Hijrah body tells Tinubu
• Jigawa govt’ approves N11bn for purchase of Khadija University

Turji said that he was willing to lay down his arms if the government would dialogue with him.

He said, “Sadists, who claimed that we are about to be killed, we are very sure that we are not in the world to stay for eternity. We are always ready to be killed.

“Killings have not started today; people were being killed since the era of past prophets. We are not afraid to die; we are not afraid of bombs.

“But you have not yet understood our message. People of Zamfara, when you stop killing our kinsmen; we will allow yours to live.

“Governor Dauda Lawal and Bello Matawalle will not help. I want the people of Zamfara to understand that they are just politicians without the interest of the people of Zamfara in their hearts.

“When Matawalle was the governor, who was sponsoring us? When Abdulaziz Yari was the governor, who was sponsoring us? Nobody is sponsoring us except God.

“It was during the administration of Yerima that the government sold out the grazing reserve and legalised the killing of the Fulanis.

“When Muhmud Shinkafi came on board, he tried unsuccessfully to address the problem. Abdulaziz Yari came and empowered the vigilantes, but we are still struggling.

“This is why we are calling on all of you to come and collaborate with us for peace to reign and stop the bloodbath in Zamfara. Guns and airstrikes will not stop us because we are not afraid of death.

“Kachallah Halilu Sububu is not the first person to be killed; several others were killed. The killing of Halilu Sububu will not deter us from doing what we are doing unless you stop killing our brothers in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, and Niger states.

“Your only plan is to exterminate the Fulani race while God has been protecting us. Even if you kill us, it’s God who ordained that to happen, but it’s not by your power.”