Bello Turji, a notorious bandits leader has accused both the current Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, and his predecessor, Bello Matawalle, now the Minister of State for Defence, of politicizing the state’s insecurity issues.
Turji, who is believed to have fled Zamfara following intensified military actions against terrorist groups, shared these accusations in a newly released video.
In the video, Turji, seated on a brand-new motorcycle and armed, sets conditions for restoring peace in Zamfara. He demanded that security forces and vigilante groups cease their attacks and killings of Fulanis in the state and other areas.
He asserts that the actions of these local security entities exacerbate the conflict and violence.
Turji also criticized the ongoing blame game between Governor Lawal and Matawalle, labelling it as political maneuvering that overlooks the welfare of the local people.
According to Turji, both leaders are not acting in the best interests of their constituents, using the state’s security crisis to advance their political agendas.
Turji said, “Governor Dauda Lawal and Bello Matawalle labelling each other as terrorists (sponsors) will not help. I want the people of Zamfara to understand that they are just politicians without the interest of the people of Zamfara in their hearts.
“When (Mr) Matawalle was the governor who was sponsoring us? Similarly, when Abdulaziz Yari was the governor who was sponsoring us? Nobody is sponsoring us except God.”
He said the armed conflict in Zamfara predated both Messrs Dauda and Matawalle and was happening since the time of former governor Ahmed Yerima.