Fifty elderly residents of Magamin Diddi village in the Magami/Faru ward of Maradun Local Government,Zamfara State have been abducted by bandits.
The incident happened yesterday while the elders were on a mission to broker peace with a notorious gang leader who has been terrorising the area.
According to reports, the victims were reportedly abducted by a notorious bandit kingpin, Jammo, who operates from the Muntsira Forest in Maradun LG.
Chairman of Maradun LG, Bello Dosara, who confirmed the incident, said the development was unfortunate. He stressed that the elders met with the bandit kingpin without the approval of the local government or the state government.
The council chairman noted that the state governor, Dauda Lawal has consistently opposed negotiations and reconciliation agreements with armed bandits.
“We are against reconciliation with bandits, and Governor Dauda Lawal has never supported such arrangements. Unfortunately, the community members decided to proceed with the meeting without informing the authorities,” he said.
He explained that despite security challenges in the area, the local government had been providing weekly security escorts to enable residents access markets and carry out essential activities safely.
He expressed surprise that the villagers chose to engage directly with the same group that had restricted their access to economic activities.
“I don’t understand why they decided to meet with people who had blocked their access to markets when the government has been supporting them with security protection every week,” Dosara said.
He disclosed that 11 of the abducted persons had since regained freedom, while 39 others remained in captivity.
He informed that those who were released were allowed to return to their communities to relay information about the incident and the demands of their captors.
Also speaking, the councillor representing Magami/Faru ward, Bello Husseini, noted that tensions between local vigilante operatives, known as Askarawa and the bandits had escalated in recent months.
He said security operatives had earlier killed two of Jammo’s lieutenants and recovered their rifles during an encounter. But, the bandits later launched a reprisal attack during the Ramadan period, killing two members of the Askarawa vigilante outfit and seizing their weapons.
He said Jammo subsequently sought reconciliation after one of his associates was killed during a military operation in Kandare village.
According to him, community leaders agreed to the proposal despite the government’s opposition and constituted a 50-member delegation to meet the bandit leader.
“On arrival, Jammo betrayed them. Instead of holding peace talks, he abducted them and later released only 11 of them,” the councillor said.
He further disclosed that Jammo was demanding N24 million in exchange for three rifles allegedly seized from his group.
He maintained that the government was right to have rejected reconciliation efforts with the bandits, arguing that criminal groups could not be trusted to honour agreements.
“The people being held are elderly men who went there in good faith. He claimed he was tired of banditry and wanted peace, but he betrayed them,” he said.
The councillor, who said he had been forced to relocate from the ward because of insecurity, called on the security agencies to launch sustained operations against criminal elements operating in Dajin Natsira Forest.
The chairman and the councillor appealed to the state and federal governments to intensify military operations in the area, arguing that dismantling bandit camps in the forest would significantly improve security across several local government areas in the state.
They specifically urged Governor Lawal and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to intervene and secure the release of those still in captivity.
Jammo is believed to be one of the most influential bandit leaders operating within the Dajin Natsira axis, which covers several settlements, including Bayan Ruwa, Kwargwaro, Aljumma Fulani, Gidan Dawa and Kyetare.
