Bandit Leader Bello Turji Reduces Levy on Zamfara Community from N50m to N30m

The residents of Moriki town in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State have successfully negotiated with notorious bandit leader Bello Turji to lower a ransom demand from N50 million to N30 million. The community now faces a Wednesday deadline to meet the reduced levy.

The ransom is reportedly a form of compensation demanded by Turji for the killing of his cattle by a new military commander stationed at an Army base in Moriki. According to reports from Daily Post, each household head has been asked to contribute N10,000, while unmarried adults are required to pay N2,000.

Despite the military commander’s plea to the villagers not to comply with the payment, and his assurance that no further harm would come to Turji’s livestock, the residents are moving forward with the payment. They fear that failure to meet the bandit’s demands could result in more violent attacks, as they feel unprotected against Turji’s brutal reprisals.

Further reports indicate that around fifteen local politicians and social activists from the area remain in Turji’s captivity, having been abducted despite the presence of military personnel in the town.