Bello Turji Kachalla, a notorious bandit leader operating in northwest Nigeria, has accused the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, of complicity in supporting terrorism in the region. Turji’s allegations came in a recently released video where he accused Matawalle, the immediate past governor of Zamfara State, of exacerbating the security issues in Nigeria.
Turji, known for leading several violent attacks including a massacre that claimed over 200 lives in Zamfara State, asserted that he possesses evidence supporting his claims. Speaking in Hausa, Turji stated, “The issue of insecurity plaguing our country has the full backing of the immediate past government of Zamfara State. I have evidence to support this claim. The past government, under His Excellency Bello Matawalle, is well-known to everyone in the region.”
He alleged that the former Zamfara government facilitated negotiations with bandits but simultaneously sabotaged efforts for peace. Turji specifically accused individuals from the Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Issah communities of being complicit in these activities. He named Kabiru Maniya and Bashari Maniya as key figures allegedly involved in harboring weapons and coordinating attacks.
Furthermore, Turji claimed that some ‘repentant’ bandits were living freely in Sokoto State while still possessing a significant number of weapons. He suggested that these individuals, despite their supposed cooperation with government forces, continued to facilitate attacks by advising security forces to vacate certain areas.
“The government should explain this to Nigerians and stop accusing Bello Turji of killing and kidnapping people,” Turji stated. “Those being kidnapped around Sokoto, Achida, and Goronyo—who is kidnapping them? Turji, currently living peacefully in Shinkafi, is not responsible. Let the government come out and take responsibility for some of the atrocities being committed and stop falsely accusing others.”
These serious allegations have further complicated the security discourse in Nigeria, raising questions about the role of government officials in the ongoing crisis in the northwest region.
