At least 50 community elders who went to negotiate peace with armed bandits in Zamfara State have been abducted during the meeting.
The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday in Magamin Diddi village, located in Magami/Faru Ward of Maradun Local Government Area, where residents had attempted to broker reconciliation with the armed group to restore access to farmlands.
A resident, Musa Sani, told journalists on Monday that the community convened a meeting and resolved to seek dialogue with the bandits in order to secure safe return to farming activities for the year. Following the decision, 50 elders were selected to represent the village in talks held inside a forest.
However, the peace initiative took a tragic turn when the bandits allegedly seized all the delegates during the session.
“The community agreed to reconcile so we could return to our farms this year. Unfortunately, the bandits rejected the peace arrangement and abducted all the elders sent to them,” Sani said.
Confirming the development, the Chairman of Maradun Local Government Area, Bello Dosara, said the council was not informed about the planned engagement with the armed group.
He stressed that both the state and local authorities had consistently opposed any form of negotiation with bandits, warning residents against such initiatives.
“We have repeatedly advised our people against engaging in reconciliation with bandits. Everyone is aware that Governor Dauda Lawal is strongly against it,” Dosara stated.
He further noted that the attackers had recently restricted movement by blocking roads leading to the community’s market, following ongoing clashes with security operatives.
Dosara questioned the decision of the community to proceed with the meeting despite rising tensions, describing the move as risky.
He, however, confirmed that 11 of the abducted elders had been released, while 39 others remained in captivity.