The Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Hassan Nasiha has said the notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, has repented and embraced the peace initiative of the State government as part of efforts to end banditry in the North-western state. The deputy governor spoke at the opening of a conference on security organised by the Students Union of Medina University, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He said he had met with bandits in the 14 local government areas of the state. "There were several wars fought but that did not stop the parties involved from dialogue to resolve their differences through a peace deal. "It is in the light of this that Governor Bello Mohammed thought it is necessary to use kinetic and non-kinetic approaches. It would not be a gun battle or a war using whatever weapons between the bandits and the people," he said.
The deputy governor also disclosed that the committee constituted by Governor Bello Matawalle, chaired by him, had held a peace meeting with nine bandits' camps at Magami District and Dansadau Emirate of Gusau and Maru Local Government Areas of Zamfara to stop attacking innocent citizens.
"This is why in the last three months, there has not been any bandits attack at Magami district as a result of the peace initiative with bandits," Mr. Nasiha said.
"Everyone knows the notorious bandits' Kingpin, Bello Turji who has operated on that axis.
"The state government through the peace committee entered into a peace deal with the bandits' leader and he agreed to stop the criminality and to embrace peace.
"Turji is now killing unrepentant bandits who unleashed terror on innocent citizens in Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Birnin Magaji local government areas," Nasiha
