Bello Turji, a notorious terror kingpin, has issued a threat to kill his hostages if their families do not pay the demanded ransom, giving them a two-day deadline that ends on Friday.
In a video, Turji also threatened the people of Moriki in Zamfara State, warning them not to request the deployment of more soldiers by the government.
Meanwhile, he imposed a fine of ₦50 million on the community, accusing them of supporting what he called injustices committed against his tribe by Nigerian troops.
One of the hostages, speaking in the video, made an emotional plea for help, stating, “We have reached out to our families, but they have not responded. Please, save our souls. If we don’t pay the ransom, they will kill us.”
“We have reached out to our families, but they have been silent. They haven’t responded. Please, in the name of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad, save our souls. We have been given a two-day ultimatum. If we don’t pay the ransom, they will kill us. They also threatened to attack Moriki if their demands are not met. They said they will continue their activities,” one of the victims pleaded.
In the video, Turji brazenly stated that even if soldiers were deployed to the area, his group would persist in their attacks, saying, “You can deploy soldiers for a hundred years, we will continue our deadly activities.”
One of the hostages also urged his family not to involve the military, pleading with them to send the ransom immediately.
Another victim, identified as Ahmad Moriki, made a desperate appeal: “Please, we are begging you. If you care for us, save our lives and rescue us. You saw what happened to Seriki Gobir, how he pleaded for his life and how it ended. We don’t want the same fate to befall us.
“They have given us a two-day ultimatum, from now until Friday. Please, come to our aid and save our lives.”
In the video, Turji dismissed reports that he had fled, declaring, “For those saying I ran away, you can see this is my home.”
He gestured to the vast land area around him, saying, “What matters to me is that you killed my loved ones.”
Turji then fired a shot into the air, stating, “Whether you accept my terms or not, this is the situation.”
