No fewer than 50 elders from a community in Zamfara State have been abducted by suspected bandits while on a reconciliation mission to a notorious kingpin, in a development that underscores the persistent insecurity in the North-West.
The victims, drawn from Magamin Diddi village in the Magami/Faru ward of Maradun Local Government Area, were reportedly seized by a bandit leader identified as Jammo, who operates within the Muntsira Forest axis of the council.
The Chairman of Maradun LGA, Bello Dosara, confirmed the incident on Monday, disclosing that the elders embarked on the peace move without the approval of the state government.
“We are against reconciliation with bandits, and Governor Dauda Lawal has never supported such a move. Unfortunately, the people went ahead on their own,” Dosara said.
He, however, revealed that 11 of the abducted elders had been released, leaving 39 others still in captivity.
According to him, those freed were allowed to return to the community to relay the bandits’ demands and details of the incident.
A councillor representing the ward, Bello Husseini, said the abduction followed a failed attempt by the community to negotiate peace with the armed group, despite longstanding hostilities.
Husseini explained that tensions in the area had escalated after a series of violent encounters between local security operatives and the bandits, leading to casualties on both sides.
He said the kingpin had recently indicated interest in reconciliation after suffering losses during a military operation in a nearby village, prompting residents to initiate dialogue in defiance of official policy.
“The community set up a 50-man delegation to meet him, but he betrayed them and took them hostage. He only released 11 to deliver his message,” Husseini said.
He added that the bandit leader is demanding N24m in exchange for three rifles allegedly seized from his group.
Describing the action as treacherous, the councillor warned against any form of negotiation with bandits, insisting they were not trustworthy.
“The people he abducted are elderly. There was no justification for taking them hostage after inviting them for peace talks,” he said.
Husseini further disclosed that he had relocated from the area due to the worsening security situation.
Both the council chairman and the councillor called on security agencies to intensify military operations in the forests, particularly the Dajin Natsira area, believed to be a major stronghold of armed groups.
They argued that a sustained offensive could significantly weaken the bandits’ operations and restore peace to several affected local government areas in the state.
The latest incident highlights the growing desperation among rural communities in Zamfara, where residents, faced with relentless attacks, sometimes resort to informal negotiations with armed groups despite government opposition.
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