Residents of Moriki town in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State have successfully negotiated a reduction in ransom from notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji.
The initial N50 million demand has been lowered to N30 million, with a deadline for payment set for Wednesday.
GOVIMA can report that the ransom is meant as compensation for the killing of Turji’s cows by the new commander of the Army base stationed in Moriki.
Under the agreement, each family head in the community is required to contribute N10,000, while unmarried adults are expected to pay N2,000.
Despite the military commander advising the villagers not to pay the ransom and promising not to harm Turji’s livestock again, the villagers are moving forward with the payment.
They fear that failing to meet Turji’s demands will result in more violent attacks on their community, as they feel unprotected from the bandit leader’s brutality.
Additionally, it was revealed that about fifteen local politicians and social activists from Moriki are currently being held hostage by Turji’s gang, despite the presence of soldiers in the area.
