Bandits Abduct 50 Zamfara Elders During Peace Mission, Demand N24m Ransom

No fewer than 50 elderly residents of Magamin Diddi village in the Magami/Faru ward of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State have been abducted while on a reconciliation mission.
The victims were reportedly kidnapped by Jammo, a notorious bandit kingpin who operates from the Muntsira Forest in Maradun LGA.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Maradun Local Government Area, Hon. Bello Dosara, told Daily Trust that the elders embarked on the reconciliation mission without the approval of the government.
According to him, both the local government and the state government have consistently opposed reconciliation with bandits.
“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.
The chairman explained that although the bandits had blocked the community’s access to the market, the council had been providing weekly security escorts to enable residents access the market safely.
“I wonder why, how they go and meet their rivals; they block access to the market and I support them with security every week,” he said.
Dosara disclosed that 11 of the abducted persons had been released, while 39 others remain in captivity.
“He released some to just brief the people on the unfortunate incident,” he added.
Also speaking on the development, the Councillor representing Magami/Faru ward, Bello Husseini, said Jammo had previously clashed with the Zamfara State security outfit known as Askarawa, during which two of the bandit leader’s lieutenants were killed and their rifles seized.
He recalled that during the last Ramadan fasting period, the bandits launched a reprisal attack that resulted in the deaths of two Askarawa personnel, while their rifles were also taken away.
“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 stated.
The councillor further revealed that Jammo had sought reconciliation after one of his fighters was killed during a recent military operation in Kandare village. Community members reportedly accepted the proposal despite government opposition.
According to Husseini, the communities constituted a 50-member committee to meet with the bandit leader. However, upon arrival, the delegates were betrayed and abducted, with only 11 later released.
He said Jammo is now demanding N24 million in exchange for three rifles previously seized from his group.
“We are against any form of reconciliation because we know they are not trustworthy; they can speak one true statement against a hundred lies,” Husseini said.
“The people he held hostage were elderly and he had no reason to hold them hostage. He betrayed them by saying he is tired of banditry and opted for reconciliation,” he added.
Husseini also disclosed that he had relocated from his ward because of the worsening security situation, stressing that he remains opposed to reconciliation with bandits.
Both the council chairman and the councillor urged the government and security agencies to launch a major operation in Dajin Natsira forest, which they claimed has never faced sustained military confrontation.
“They have never been attacked by any security forces and we are optimistic that if the government wants to help these people, one patrol five kilometers away from the village will yield a very good positive result,” they said.
They argued that clearing the forest would significantly improve security in several local government areas, including Talata Mafara, Bakura, Anka, Gummi, Bukkuyum, Maru and Bungudu.
The officials also appealed to Governor Dauda Lawal and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to intervene and provide urgent assistance.
Husseini described Jammo as the overall leader of Dajin Natsira, which covers areas such as Bayan Ruwa, Kwargwaro, Aljumma Fulani, Gidan Dawa and Kyetare, although each settlement is said to have its own local leader.
(Source: Daily Trust)