Bandits kidnap 50 elders during peace meeting in Zamfara

No fewer than 50 elders sent to reconcile with bandits have been kidnapped during a peace meeting in Zamfara State.

The elders, who are from Magamin Diddi village in the Magami/Faru Ward of Maradun Local Government Area of the state, were reportedly held captive by the bandits on Sunday.

An indigene of the area, Musa Sani, speaking to newsmen on Monday, said the community had decided to seek reconciliation with the bandits to enable residents to return to their farms this year.

Consequently, 50 elders were delegated to meet with the bandits in the forest for dialogue but the bandits abducted them during the meeting.

“The people of the community held a meeting and decided to reconcile with the bandits to allow us to go to our farms this year.

“But unfortunately, the bandits disagreed with the peace accord and decided to kidnap all 50 elders sent to them,” he said.

However, the Chairman of Maradun Local Government Area, Bello Dosara, who confirmed the incident on Monday, said the community did not inform the local government authorities about the reconciliation process with the bandits.

Dosara expressed concern over the incident, stressing that both the local and state governments were against reconciliation with bandits.

He said, “We are against reconciliation with bandits, and we have repeatedly warned our people to desist from such dangerous arrangements.

“Everybody knows that Governor Dauda Lawal is against reconciliation with bandits.”

According to the chairman, the bandits had recently blocked all roads leading to the community market to express their anger over the persistent killing of their members by security operatives.

He questioned why the community chose to meet with the aggrieved bandits, who were seeking an opportunity to retaliate.

“I wonder why the community made the mistake of meeting with people who were looking for whom to kidnap,” he said.

He, however, confirmed that 11 of the abducted elders had been released by the bandits, while the remaining 39 were still being held in captivity.