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Notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, has reacted to a confession by a former aide to the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, who accused the ex-Zamfara State governor of having several meetings with bandit leaders in the state and giving them gifts including cash, exotic vehicles, houses and motorcycles.
In an audio message that circulated online on Saturday, the former aide,Musa Kamara, who said Matawalle had appointed him as the facilitator of the peace meetings, had accused the then governor of pampering the bandit leaders including Turji whom he said was once given N30 million and a house bought and renovated for him.
But in a video shared on X late Saturday, the most wanted bandit kingpin refuted the allegations, saying the meetings he had with Matawalle was solely to seek for ways of maintaining peace and not for his personal benefit.
Describing the allegations of collecting N30 million from the former governor as a lie, the notorious bandit leader accused Kamara of giving false testimony and betraying the trust established during the negotiations.
“By Allah, since I was born, I have never possessed even five million naira,” Turji said in the video while addressing Kamara directly.
“What I am doing is not for personal gain. We were never given that ₦30 million you are talking about.
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“We agreed on peace when the Zamfara State government appointed you. But what you are saying now is full of lies. I did not even receive three million naira.”
Turji said the meeting with state officials was part of a peace initiative and insisted that he did not personally benefit financially from the process.
He also accused former political leaders in Zamfara and Sokoto states of fuelling violence in the region, alleging that they armed groups and encouraged the formation of vigilantes that targeted Fulani communities.
“We say openly that former governors of Zamfara and Sokoto, alongside Ahmed Sani Yerima, are responsible for the calamities that befell these states,” Turji claimed, calling for their arrest and investigation.
He stated that all his actions were in response to alleged injustice against his Fulani brothers, insisting that he was not acting on behalf of any political interest.
“We are not politicians, and we are not tools of politicians. There is no human being backing us. We only answer before Allah,” he said.
Bandit kingpin Bello Turji released a video defending former Minister of Defence Bello Matawalle, asserting that Matawalle merely invited them to the Zamfara State government house and denying claims of a 30 million naira payment. In an attempt to do a damage control over the… pic.twitter.com/PFybxKYzRK
— Ozor Ndi Ozor (@OzorNdiOzor) December 13, 2025
The post Bandit leader Turji denies receiving cash from ex-Zamfara Gov Matawalle, points fingers at those fueling insecurity in north (Video) appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.
