Fifty elderly residents of Magamin Diddi village in Magami/Faru ward of Maradun Local Government Area have been kidnapped while on a reconciliation mission to a bandit leader in Zamfara State.

The abduction was reportedly carried out by Jammo, the bandits’ kingpin in charge of Muntsira Forest in Maradun LGA, who is said to have intercepted and taken the delegation.

The Chairman of Maradun Local Government, Hon. Bello Dosara, confirmed the incident but stressed that the group proceeded on the mission without official approval from government authorities.

According to him, the community independently chose to engage the bandit leader despite the government’s known position on such negotiations.

“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 further explained that the bandit kingpin had previously blocked access to the village market, but the local government had been providing weekly security escorts to enable residents to access the market safely 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,” he said, expressing concern over the development.

Dosara also confirmed that 11 of the kidnapped persons had been released, while 39 others remained in captivity.

“He released some to just brief the people on the unfortunate incident,” he added.

Speaking further, the Councillor representing Magami/Faru ward, Bello Husseini, revealed that Jammo had previously clashed with the Zamfara State security outfit known as “Askarawa,” during which two of the bandit leader’s lieutenants were killed and their rifles taken away.

However, he said that during the last fasting period, the bandits carried out a reprisal attack in which two Askarawa personnel were killed and their rifles also seized.

“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 the bandit kingpin later sought reconciliation after one of his associates was killed during a recent military operation in Kandare village, a move the community accepted independently, contrary to government policy.

According to him, the community formed a 50-man delegation to meet Jammo, but upon arrival, the bandit leader allegedly betrayed them and abducted the entire group, later releasing 11 persons.

Hon. Husseini further disclosed that Jammo is currently demanding N24 million in exchange 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,” he said.

He added that the abducted victims were elderly people who had no reason to be detained, describing the act as a betrayal after the bandit leader claimed he was ready for peace.

“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 Councillor also revealed that he personally relocated from his ward due to insecurity, despite his opposition to any form of reconciliation with armed groups.

Both the Council Chairman and the Councillor jointly called on the government and security agencies to launch a major offensive on “Dajin Natsira,” insisting that the forest has never experienced a full security confrontation in 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,” they said.

They further argued that if the forest is properly bombed or cleared, several local government areas including Talata Mafara, Bakura, Anka, Gummi, Bukkuyum, Maru, and Bungudu would become peaceful.

The officials also appealed to Governor Dauda Lawal and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to urgently intervene and assist affected communities.

Husseini further explained that Jammo is the overall ruler of the Dajin Natsira forest network, which includes Bayan Ruwa, Kwargwaro, Aljumma Fulani, Gidan Dawa, and Kyetare, although each enclave reportedly has its own sub-leader under his command.