A notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, has reportedly released more than 100 hostages in Zamfara State following renewed peace talks aimed at ending years of violence, abductions, and insecurity across Nigeria’s North-West region.
The freed captives—comprising men, women, and children—were said to have been held for several months in various forest camps under Turji’s control.
According to multiple reports, the mass release was the outcome of ongoing dialogue and confidence-building efforts led by community leaders, clerics, and traditional rulers working in collaboration with the North West Operation Safe Corridor peace initiative.
Security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama confirmed the development in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, stating that the victims were freed after sustained negotiations facilitated by local mediators.
Makama added that the freed hostages were handed over to local authorities, who took them to a nearby medical facility for health checks and psychological evaluation before reuniting them with their families.
A source familiar with the talks told Makama that the release formed part of a broader peace deal reached with Turji’s camp. As part of the agreement, Turji reportedly pledged to suspend hostilities and cooperate with mediators to restore peace in Zamfara and neighbouring states.
“Thirty-six people were initially released, followed by another eight, bringing the total to 46. The remaining captives were freed later, making over 100 in total,” the source revealed, adding that more releases are expected as negotiations progress.
Authorities are said to be closely monitoring the situation to ensure that the truce is genuine and to prevent any faction from using the peace process as a cover to regroup or rearm.
Bello Turji, who has long been one of Nigeria’s most wanted criminal figures, is accused of masterminding mass kidnappings, attacks on villages, and deadly highway ambushes across the North-West over the past decade.
