Nigeria: Bandits Abduct 50 Zamfara Elders During 'Reconciliation Meeting' Inside Forest

No fewer than 50 elders of Magamin Diddi village in Magami/Faru ward of Maradun local government area of Zamfar State, have been kidnapped during a reconciliation meeting with Jammo, a notorious bandit kingpin in charge of Muntsira Forest in Maradun.

Speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP, the chairman of Maradun local aovernment area council, Hon. Bello Dosara, said the village elders met with the bandit kingpin without government's approval.

"I am the chief security officer for Maradun, they should have contacted me at least, nobody informed me because they knew the leadership of Zamfara State led by Governor Dauda Lawal openly bars negotiations with bandits.

"I am just reading one report which said only 11 people were released but I have confirmed jua few seconds before your call came in that 12 elders were released remaining 38," Dosara said.

"He released the 12 to go and tell the community people on the unfortunate incident," Dosara added.

Also confirming the incident to LEADERSHIP, one of the community youth leaders, who pleaded anonymity, said the notorious bandit kingpin Jammo had also blocked the village access to the local market.

He revealed that the bandit kingpin had requested for a reconciliation after one of his boys was killed in a recent military operations at Kandare village.

Also confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Zamfara State Police Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said; "we heard what happened in Maradun, though we are not sure of the number of elders kidnapped and those released, I am still following up with the DPO to get more details, once that happen, I will call you. Also, the Division has deployed some men to the community."

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC.

Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox

To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we jus