No fewer than 50 community elders were been abducted by bandits in Zamfara State after attending a reconciliation meeting with a notorious gang leader known as Jammo.
The elders were seized after participating in a peace dialogue initiated by the bandit commander without the knowledge or approval of government authorities.
As gathered, the incident occurred on Monday in Magamin Diddi village, located in the Magami/Faru ward of Maradun Local Government Area.
Chairman of Maradun Local Government Area, Bello Dosara, said the elders went ahead with the meeting despite the Zamfara State Government’s longstanding opposition to negotiating with bandits.
According to him, local authorities were neither consulted nor informed about the planned engagement.
“I am the chief security officer for Maradun. They should have contacted me at least. Nobody informed me because they knew the Zamfara State Government, under Governor Dauda Lawal, has openly barred negotiations with bandits,” Dosara said.
He revealed that while initial reports indicated that only 11 victims had regained their freedom, updated information available to the council showed that 12 elders had been released, with 50 others still being held captive.
“I confirmed just before your call that 12 elders have been released, while 50 are still being held. Those released were sent back to inform the community about what happened,” he told correspondents via a phone call.
Community sources said the situation was further compounded by restrictions allegedly imposed by Jammo, who has reportedly barred residents from accessing the local market.
A youth leader in the area, who requested anonymity, said the reconciliation meeting was convened after the bandit leader sought dialogue following the death of one of his associates during a recent military operation.
According to the source, Jammo’s request for reconciliation came after one of his fighters was killed during security operations, prompting the controversial meeting with community elders.
Meanwhile, the Zamfara State Police Command said it had received reports of the abduction and was working to ascertain the exact number of victims involved.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said security personnel had been deployed to the affected community as efforts continued to verify the circumstances surrounding the incident and secure the release of those still in captivity.
“We heard what happened in Maradun, though we are not yet certain of the exact number of elders kidnapped or released.
“I am following up with the Divisional Police Officer for more details, and officers have been deployed to the community,” Abubakar said.