Fifty elderly residents of Magamin Diddi village in Magami/Faru Ward, Maradun LGA of Zamfara State, who went on a peace mission to reconcile with bandits, have been kidnapped after visiting a bandits’ hideout.
The chairman of Maradun Local Government, Bello Dosara, confirmed the incident but said the villagers met the bandit leader without government approval. He said Jammo, a kingpin operating from Muntsira Forest in Maradun LGA, was behind 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.
He also said the bandit leader had blocked access to the market, while the council had been providing weekly security escorts for safe movement.
Dosara confirmed that 11 of the kidnapped villagers have been released, while 39 are still in captivity.
“He released some to just brief the people on the unfortunate incident,” he added.
Councillor Bello Husseini said Jammo had earlier clashed with the state security outfit, Askarawa, where two of his lieutenants were killed and rifles taken. During the last fasting period, the bandits also struck back, killing two Askarawa personnel and seizing 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 Jammo later sought reconciliation after one of his fighters was killed in Kandare, and villagers agreed despite government policy. He is now demanding N24 million for three 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.
He added he had relocated due to insecurity. Both officials called for an offensive on “Dajin Natsira.”
