Ex Sokoto Gov, Bafarawa Denies Terror Sponsorship Claims, Says Bello Turji Being Used

Former Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, has dismissed allegations by notorious bandit leader Bello Turji linking him to terrorism and banditry in Northern Nigeria, describing the claims as false, baseless, and a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation.

Bafarawa, who governed Sokoto State from 1999 to 2007, reacted to the allegation in a telephone interview, insisting that he has never supported violence, criminality, or any act capable of destabilising society.

The bandit leader had, in a viral video circulated on social media, accused Bafarawa and a former governor of Zamfara State of being the driving force behind the worsening insecurity in the North. Turji, however, did not provide details or evidence to substantiate his claims.

Expressing shock over the allegation, Bafarawa said there was no trace of banditry or terrorism in Sokoto or Zamfara states during his tenure in office, adding that he neither knew nor had any dealings with Bello Turji at the time.

“Where was Bello Turji when I was governor of Sokoto State, 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 cohorts.”

The former governor, who founded the Democratic People’s Party and was its presidential candidate in the 2007 general election, questioned the logic of accusing him of sponsoring terrorism nearly two decades after leaving office.

“What do I stand to gain from banditry or terrorism at my age?” he queried, adding that the accusation was “absolute rubbish” and a lie orchestrated by unnamed forces using Turji to malign his name.

Bafarawa reaffirmed his commitment to peace and stability in Sokoto State and Nigeria as a whole, stressing that he would never be involved in activities capable of undermining national security.

It would be recalled that Bello Turji, in the viral video that surfaced on Sunday, accused past political leaders in Sokoto and Zamfara states of laying the foundation for the region’s prolonged insecurity, calling for their arrest and investigation.