By Vera Chinonso Aliyu, YeyeNews.com, November 13, 2021
Turji, a notorious bandit leader in Zamfara State has turned down the offer of the State Governor Bello Matawalle to negotiate with the government. The bandit leader sent back the State government’s delegation with a condition that he will only consider accepting the negotiation offer if Governor Matawalle will show seriousness by coming into the forest and kneel before him, a member of emissary sent by the government told YeyeNews.com.
The source narrated how the delegation headed by a local government chairman waded through series of bandit checkpoints to reach the camp of Turji. “He (Turji) has set up something like a State within a State. He appoints trusted people into different administrative positions he has created and other existing ones. Even, he just concluded a oath taking ceremony for some new Village Heads he appointed. That is our current reality”. The source further said the bandit leader welcomed them but warned that he would not entertain such visits subsequently unless the Governor personally came to his enclave.
A member of the bandit gang confirmed the visit of the government emissaries to their forest enclave. He told YeyeNews.com reporter that “the government people came to see my boss to plead with him to stop this business. They said the government will give him position and take care of his family. But he told them he doesn’t want to work for the government because they always steal from the people. Before we can consider to negotiate the governor should come and kneel down to apologize for shutting down phone network and sending soldiers to kill us. We warned them not take those actions but they didn’t listen. After everything they did we are still here stronger”.
But an aide of the governor expressed confidence that Turji will eventually accept the olive branch offered by the government. “The governor has increased the incentive to convince him to surrender. The new offer is now to give Turji full control of the State’s security votes. That’s a lot of money that I don’t think anyone will reject. Peace is the priority of the governor and nothing is too much to sacrifice to achieve it”, the aide told YeyeNews.com reporter.
