Bandits have seized 50 elderly people from Magamin Diddi village in Magami/Faru ward of Maradun Local Government Area Zamfara state who reportedly went on a reconciliation mission.
The chairman of Maradun Local Government, Hon. Bello Dosara, confirmed the incident, but said the people decided to meet with the bandit kingpin without government’s clearance.
“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.
Dosara further said the bandits’ kingpin blocked the village access to market, but he constantly maintained giving them weekly security backup to come to the market and return home.
“I wonder why, how they go and meet their rivals, they block access to the market, and I support them with security every week,” Dosara expressed his worries.
The council chairman further confirmed the release of 11 people, while the remaining 39 are still in capacity. “He released some to just brief the people on the unfortunate incident,” he added.
Also speaking, the Councilor of Magami/Faru ward, Bello Husseini revealed that previously the bandit’s kingpin Jammo who is terrorizing the area had an encounter with the Zamfara State security outfit ‘Askarawa” where they killed two of his lieutenants and catered away their rifles.
However, during the last fasting period, the bandits, who were on a reprisal attack, also killed two Askarawa personnel and took away their rifles.
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“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.
Husseini added that the bandit Kingpin requested for reconciliation after one of his boys was killed in a recent military operation at Kandare village, which the people granted on their own against the government policy.
According to him, the communities sent in a 50-man committee and on their arrival, Jamm betrayed and kidnapped them but later released 11 people. Hon. Husseini said Jammo is currently demanding N24 million for the three seized 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 is tired of banditry and opted for reconciliation,” Husseini said.
The Councilor further stated that he migrated from his ward due to insecurity despite that he is against reconciliation in whatever form.
The chairman and the Councilor jointly called on government and security forces to launch an attack on the “Dajin Natsira” as the bandits never experienced confrontation throughout the history of banditry in Zamfara state.
“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.”
“Whenever the forest was bombed, 6 local government areas out of the 14 in the state such as Talata Mafara, Bakura, Anka, Gummi, Bukkuyum, Maru and Bungudu will definitely be peaceful.”
They also urged Governor Lawal and State minister for Defense Bello Matawalle to come to their aid.
Hon. Husseini said Jammo was the overall ruler of the Dajin Natsira which comprises Bayan ruwa, Kwargwaro, Aljumma Fulani, Gidan Dawa and Kyetare but each segment has their own leader.
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