‘Part of me dey doubt am’ – Zamfara residents react to bandit kingpin Bello Turji repentance tori

Some residents of Zamfara state for northwest Nigeria tok to BBC Pidgin afta dia state goment on Sunday announce say popular bandit Bello Turji don repent and embrace peace afta years of kidnappings and killings.

Na Zamfara state deputy govnor Hassan Nasiha make di announcement regarding Turji wey many across north dey call ‘Sarkin Yan Ta’adda’ wey mean king of bandits.

Turji for many years now dey on police most wanted list for many crimes wey happun not only in Zamfara state wey be im home state but neighbouring Sokoto and Katsina as well.

Hafizu Bala na resident of Zamfara wey some of im relatives don suffer for di hands of kidnappers in di past and e tok say Turji embracing peace dey good for peace to last but dey get doubt considering oda bandits wey bin repent but go back to dia old ways.

“Dis Turji embracing peace news na one wey sweet not only me but millions of pipo for Zamfara because we believe say na one of di tins we need for peace to reign.”

“Di man and im pipo don do plenty damage to our state and for im to embrace peace na good news, we be farming state and dis na farming season so dis news go allow farmers go about dia activities in peace without fear.”

“But at di same time a part of me dey doubt Turji because in di past e get oda bandits like Auwalu Daudawa wey bin embrace peace but later go back to life of crime so na why I still dey fear.”

Anoda resident Jamilu Umaru say e dey happy just like Hafizu but still get im own doubt as well because of wetin happun in di past wit some oda bandits.

“Di tin be say most times before dem embrace peace dem go give goment some conditions and if later those conditions no dey meet dem go go back to life of crime.”

“Na sometin wey happun before and na why some of us dey happy but still get doubt on di lasting effect.”

Across northern Nigeria many pipo don hail di development say anytin wey go bring peace to di region dey welcome.

Public affairs commentator Isah Danjuma say e dey important for goment to also use di brains of Turji to get di remaining ones wey no gree repent.

“So wetin suppose happun now be say goment need to use all di info and intelligence from Turji to bring end to banditry because as somebody wey sabi evertlything e dey important to use im brain.”

 

Wetin to sabi about Bello Turji

Anybodi wey dey stay northern Nigeria fit tell you say di most mentioned name for di region at di moment na Bello Turji.

Many don allege say na Turji dey behind di criminal activities wey dey happun for northwest part of Nigeria.

Dr Murtala Ahmad Rufai na lecturer for history department of Danfodio University and author of di book ‘I am a bandit’ e tok to BBC about tins wey pipo no sabi about Bello Turji.

Dem born am for Shinkafi local goment- Dem born Bello Turji for Shinkafi local goment wey dey for Zamfara state.

But di time wey dem born am Zamfara and Sokoto be one state so e no too clear whether na for di Sokoto part dem start to dey live.

“Na for Shinkafi dem born am, na from dia since e small im father dey cari am go animal market just like any young Fulani boy.” Dr Murtala yan.

Di lecturer add say Bello age go dey between 27-35 years at di moment.”Im father Usman na good man wey dey live in peace with everybody for Shinkafi area.”
Bello Turji family

Reports show say all di family members of Bello Turji bin dey shun am because say dem no like wetin im dey do.

According to Dr Murtala, na because of wetin im pikin dey do make Bello papa move from im town to Kura town for Kano and from dia to Jigawa state.

“All im family members no support am and infact dem no dey collect any tin wey e give dem because dem feel say wetin e dey dey bad.” Dr Murtala yan.

Bello Turji education

Dr Murtala say Bello get adequate islamic knowledge but in terms of western education na only primary school e finish.”

“E get knowledge of islamic education but not that deep as some pipo dey tink but for western side na only primary school.”

Bello Turji lifestyle

‘E no too tey wey Bello Turji choose banditry lifestyle.’ 

Dr Murtala say na in di last few years Bello start wetin im dey do because when di insecurity wahala start for Zamfara state many years Bello still neva grow wella dat time.

Di lecturer say Bello first start wit cattle rustling before e bin graduate to full blown kidnapping and banditry.