Bandit kingpin Bello Turji has disclosed how alleged attacks his family suffered pushed him into banditry.
This was as he recounted how his family got attacked and 1,000 cattle belonging to the family were stolen and in the process, six of his younger siblings got killed in one day.
He also alleged that Yan Sakai, a volunteer vigilante group in Sokoto, now banned, always connived with security agents to harass and extort the Fulanis.
Turji spoke during an interview with Trust TV as part of a documentary, ‘Nigeria’s Banditry: The Inside Story’.
He said, “Over 1,000 cattle were taken away from us. On that day, six of our little siblings were killed. Our parents went through all the courts, but they couldn’t get back their cattle. They also connived with Yan Sakai and slaughtered my uncle. Where then does a commoner seek redress?”
Speaking of Yan Sakai volunteers, Turji said, “They arrest innocent people and lock them up, and if you ask, they say it is because of corn stalks. You will be fined N500,000, and you must pay, for fear of incarceration.
“I will swear with the Qur’an that the Emir of Shinkafi knows about this. My father was involved in a court case for seven years over corn stalks. Just for corn stalks!”