Bandits have kidnapped 50 elders from Magamin Diddi village in the Magami/Faru Ward of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, sent to reconcile with them during a peace meeting in state.
Penpushing reports that an indigene of the area, Musa Sani speaking to journalists explained that the community had decided to seek reconciliation with the bandits to enable residents to return to their farms this year.
The indigene explained that in a twist of event the elders were reportedly held captive by the bandits on Sunday, affirming that the 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.
Penpushing further reports that 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.
The chairman, however, expressed concern over the incident, stressing that both the local and state governments were against reconciliation with bandits, and have repeatedly warned indigenes to desist from such dangerous arrangements.
“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’, he stated
Penpushing also reports that Dosara recalled that 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.
The local government chairman, however, questioned why the community chose to meet with the aggrieved bandits, who were seeking an opportunity to retaliate, stressing that it was a grave mistake
Penpushing reports that as at the time of filing this report, the chairman confirmed that 11 of the abducted elders had been released by the bandits, while the remaining 39 were still being held in captivity.
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