“We met Turji, Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa, and Malam Ila. They all agreed to the peace proposals. Arms were surrendered in three phases,” Mr Yusuf said.
Zamfara terrorist leader, Bello Turji, has released 32 kidnapped persons and surrendered some arms following a peace intervention led by Islamic clerics in Shinkafi Local Government Area.
The development was revealed on Monday by Sheikh Musa Yusuf, also known as Asadus-Sunnah, during a religious gathering in Kaduna. He said the dialogue — held three times in July inside Fakai forest — was facilitated by residents who wanted to resume farming safely.
“We met Turji, Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa, and Malam Ila. They all agreed to the peace proposals. Arms were surrendered in three phases,” Mr Yusuf said. He also confirmed the safe release of women and children, some of whom gave birth or were injured during nearly four months in captivity.
Since the partial truce, farming has resumed in the Shinkafi axis, with the cleric noting: “The area now enjoys relative peace.”
While urging critics not to jeopardise the process with inflammatory remarks, Yusuf clarified that Turji was not asked to surrender all his weapons to avoid vulnerability to rival factions.
He commended President Bola Tinubu, NSA Nuhu Ribadu, Governor Dauda Lawal, and Senator Shehu Buba for backing a non-military strategy to curb terrorism in Zamfara.