In a surprising development, notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has released more than 100 people held captive in his camps, marking a new phase in peace efforts across Zamfara State and the wider North West region of Nigeria.
According to reports by counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, the mass release followed ongoing dialogue and trust-building efforts initiated by community leaders under the North West Operation Safe Corridor peace initiative.
Sources involved in the negotiation process revealed that the release was carried out in stages with 36 people freed initially, followed by eight more, and then the remaining captives, bringing the total to over 100 men, women, and children.
The victims have since been handed over to local authorities for medical examination and rehabilitation before being reunited with their families.
Negotiators say the gesture is part of an agreement with Turji’s faction to embrace peace and halt attacks on rural communities that have suffered years of violence, displacement, and destruction.
Security officials, however, remain cautious. They’ve pledged to maintain strict surveillance to ensure the peace process is genuine and that no group uses the truce as an opportunity to regroup or rearm.
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