Nigeria, Aug. 5 -- Zamfara terrorism kingpin, Bello Turji, has released 32 kidnapped persons and agreed to stop attacking farmers following a series of meetings with some Islamic clerics in his hideout.

Musa Yusuf, a cleric popularly known as Asadus-Sunnah, disclosed the development at a religious gathering on Monday in Kaduna.

Mr Yusuf said Mr Turji also surrendered some of his arms after the meeting in the Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The cleric said Shinkafi residents engaged his team of clerics to appeal to Mr Turji to let them access their farms in the forest. He said the meeting took place three times in July in the Fakai forest.

"We met Mr Turji, Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa and Malam Ila. The speculation that...