Bandit Leader Kidnaps 39 Zamfara Elders After Luring Them to Peace Meeting

A reconciliation effort between residents of a troubled Zamfara community and a notorious bandit leader has ended in tragedy after dozens of elders were abducted during a peace mission in Maradun Local Government Area of the state.

The victims, numbering about 50, were reportedly members of a community delegation from Magamin Diddi village in Magami/Faru Ward who had travelled to meet a feared bandit kingpin known as Jammo in an attempt to negotiate peace and restore normalcy in the area.

However, the mission turned disastrous when the armed group allegedly turned on the delegation and took them hostage.

Confirming the incident, Maradun Local Government Chairman, Hon. Bello Dosara, said the community leaders embarked on the reconciliation visit without the approval or knowledge of the state government.

According to him, the administration of Governor Dauda Lawal has consistently opposed negotiations and reconciliation deals with bandit groups operating in the state.

“We are against reconciliation with bandits, and Governor Dauda Lawal has never supported such arrangements. The community members decided to proceed on their own,” Dosara said.

The council chairman explained that Jammo’s gang had previously blocked access routes linking the community to local markets, forcing the local government to provide periodic security escorts to enable residents to carry out commercial activities.

He expressed surprise that community representatives would seek direct engagement with the same group despite the ongoing security challenges.

Dosara disclosed that 11 members of the delegation have since been released, while 39 others remain in captivity.

According to him, those released were allowed to return and relay the kidnappers’ demands and conditions to the community.

The councillor representing Magami/Faru Ward, Hon. Bello Husseini, revealed that tensions between local vigilante operatives known as Askarawa and Jammo’s gang had escalated in recent months following deadly clashes.

He said security volunteers had earlier killed two of the bandit leader’s lieutenants and seized their rifles, while the bandits later retaliated by killing two members of the vigilante group and carting away weapons.

Husseini disclosed that the bandit leader had recently expressed interest in reconciliation following the death of one of his fighters during a military operation in Kandare village.

Believing his overtures were genuine, community members reportedly assembled a 50-man delegation to engage him in dialogue.

Instead, he allegedly ordered their abduction upon arrival.

The councillor further claimed that Jammo is demanding ₦24 million in exchange for three rifles reportedly seized from his group during previous confrontations.

He warned against any future attempts at negotiating with criminal groups, insisting that the incident had reinforced concerns that bandits cannot be trusted.

“The people he kidnapped were elderly men who went there in good faith. He claimed he was tired of banditry and wanted peace, but he betrayed them,” Husseini said.

Both the local government chairman and the councillor called on security agencies to launch sustained operations against criminal camps in the Muntsira Forest and the wider Dajin Natsira area, which they described as a longstanding haven for armed groups.

They argued that decisive military action in the forest could significantly weaken bandit operations and restore peace to several local government areas affected by insecurity across Zamfara State.

The officials also appealed to Governor Dauda Lawal and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to intensify efforts to rescue the remaining hostages and dismantle the criminal network operating in the area.

The incident highlights the persistent security challenges facing communities in Zamfara, where kidnappings, armed attacks and bandit activities continue to threaten lives and livelihoods despite ongoing military operations.