Former Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, has firmly denied allegations by notorious bandit leader Bello Turji that he played a role in fueling terrorism and banditry in Northern Nigeria. Bafarawa dismissed the claim as baseless, accusing Turji of being used to smear his reputation.
Turji had taken to Facebook to accuse Bafarawa and another former governor of Zamfara State of being the forces behind the worsening insecurity in the North, although he failed to provide any concrete evidence. Reacting during a telephone interview with Vanguard, Bafarawa described the accusation as shocking and completely false.
The former governor, who governed Sokoto State between 1999 and 2007, said there was no trace of banditry or terrorism in Sokoto or Zamfara when he left office. He added that he neither knew Bello Turji nor had any dealings with him at any point in his life.
“Where was Bello Turji when I was governor, and how old was he then?” Bafarawa asked. “I had nothing to do with him then, and I still have nothing to do with him or his group. What do I stand to gain from banditry or terrorism at my age, almost 20 years after leaving office?”
Bafarawa, who also founded the Democratic People’s Party and contested the 2007 presidential election, said the bandit leader was merely daydreaming by dragging his name into such allegations. He insisted that he has always stood for peace and stability, stressing that he would never engage in anything capable of destabilising society.
He further alleged that Turji was being manipulated by unseen forces to spread lies. “It is absolute rubbish. He is being used to satisfy the interests of those pushing him to make these unfounded claims against me,” Bafarawa said.
The denial follows a viral video in which Turji accused former political leaders in Sokoto and Zamfara states of laying the foundation for the region’s insecurity, even calling for their arrest and investigation.
