50 elderly villagers kidnapped during reconciliation mission to bandits

Fifty elderly residents of Magamin Diddi village in the Magami/Faru Ward of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, who embarked on a peace mission to reconcile with bandits terrorising their communities, have been kidnapped after visiting the bandits’ hideout.

The chairman of Maradun Local Government, Bello Dosara, confirmed the incident but said the villagers met with the bandit kingpin without the government’s approval. He added that Jammo, the bandit kingpin operating from Muntsira Forest in Maradun LGA of Zamfara State, was responsible for the abduction.

“We are against reconciliation with the bandits, and Governor Dauda Lawal never supported that, but unknown to us, the people chose to go on with it,” Dosara said.

Dosara further explained that the bandit kingpin had blocked the villagers’ access to the market but that the local government had consistently provided them with weekly security escorts to enable them to travel to and from the market safely.

The council chairman also confirmed the release of 11 of the abducted villagers, while the remaining 39 are still being held captive.

“He released some to just brief the people on the unfortunate incident,” he added.

Also speaking, the councillor representing Magami/Faru Ward, Bello Husseini, revealed that the bandit kingpin, Jammo, who has been terrorising the area, had previously clashed with the Zamfara State security outfit, Askarawa, during which two of his lieutenants were killed, and their rifles seized.

However, during the last fasting period, the bandits launched a reprisal attack in which they killed two Askarawa personnel and took away their rifles.

“You see, we are one to one; they killed two of us and took away their rifles, and we also killed them and possessed their firearms initially,” Husseini said.

He added that the bandit kingpin requested reconciliation after one of his fighters was killed during a recent military operation in Kandare village, a request that the villagers granted on their own despite the government’s policy against such negotiations.

according to Husseini, Jammo is currently demanding N24 million in exchange for the three seized rifles.

“We are against any form of reconciliation because we know they are not trustworthy; they can speak one true statement against a hundred lies. The people he held hostage were elderly, and he had no reason to hold them hostage; he betrayed them by saying he was tired of banditry and opted for reconciliation,” Husseini said.

The councillor further stated that he had relocated from his ward because of insecurity, despite his opposition to reconciliation in any form.

The chairman and the councillor jointly called on the government and security agencies to launch an offensive against the “Dajin Natsira”, arguing that the bandits operating there have never faced sustained military confrontation throughout the history of banditry in Zamfara State.