Thirty-nine persons, mostly elders of Magamin Diddi village and surrounding communities, were held captive by a gang of armed bandits loyal to a kingpin, Jumo, during a reconciliation meeting at a bandit camp in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State. The locals, forty-five in number, were invited by the……
Thirty-nine persons, mostly elders of Magamin Diddi village and surrounding communities, were held captive by a gang of armed bandits loyal to a kingpin, Jumo, during a reconciliation meeting at a bandit camp in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The locals, forty-five in number, were invited by the bandits for a peace dialogue to allow them access to their weekly market and farmlands during this farming season.
The meeting followed a series of pleas by four communities under Magamin Diddi village to the terrorists to grant them the freedom to go about their activities.
Residents of Magamin Diddi and surrounding communities had, barely a year ago, captured some bandits terrorising their area and seized their firearms, a development over which the bandits vowed to take revenge.
Upon their arrival at the venue of the meeting, the bandit leader, Jumo, first demanded the rifles seized by the communities or monetary compensation for them.
However, the elders and representatives of the affected communities could not produce either, a development that led the bandit leader to order that they be held captive. Six persons were, however, released to return home and mobilise funds for their release.
Chairman of Maradun Local Government Area, Sanusi Ahmed Dosara, confirmed the development to newsmen via telephone.
He said the locals did not inform any authority of their plans to meet with the bandits for the reconciliation meeting.
Mr Dosara noted that the terrorists held thirty-nine out of the forty-five persons who attended the meeting and released six to return home, inform their communities, and mobilise funds for their release.
According to another source, the bandits are demanding the sum of ₦24 million as compensation for their firearms, which were seized by members of the community barely a year ago. The amount is also expected to serve as ransom for the captives’ release.
However, the police in Zamfara, through the command’s spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said troops had been deployed to the area to ensure the safe rescue of those held captive by the terrorists.
The police called for calm and urged residents to go about their normal activities, assuring them that security agencies would provide safety for all.