At least 39 residents of Magamin Diddi village in Zamfara State are reportedly still being held captive after a planned reconciliation meeting with a notorious bandit leader ended in betrayal and abduction.
The victims were part of a 50-member delegation from the community that travelled to meet a bandit kingpin identified as Jammo, who is said to operate from the Muntsira Forest area in Maradun Local Government Area.
Confirming the development, Maradun Local Government Chairman, Bello Dosara, said the meeting was organised by community members without the knowledge or approval of the Zamfara State Government.
According to Dosara, Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration has consistently rejected reconciliation deals with armed groups and was not involved in the arrangement that led to the encounter.
“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,” the council chairman was quoted as saying.
He explained that Jammo had previously imposed restrictions on residents, preventing them from accessing local markets. In response, the local government reportedly arranged weekly security escorts to help villagers travel safely in and out of the area.
Dosara said he was surprised that members of the community chose to engage directly with the bandit leader despite the security measures already in place. He disclosed that 11 members of the delegation were eventually released, while the remaining 39 continue to be held.
Further details provided by Bello Husseini, councillor representing Magami/Faru Ward, suggest the incident may be linked to recent confrontations between the bandit group and Zamfara’s community security outfit, known as Askarawa.
Husseini said security operatives had earlier killed two of Jammo’s lieutenants and recovered weapons from the group. He added that the bandits later launched a retaliatory attack during Ramadan, killing two vigilante members and seizing their rifles.
According to the councillor, Jammo later expressed interest in reconciliation after one of his associates was killed during a military operation in Kandare village. This reportedly prompted the community to form a 50-member committee to meet him, despite the government’s opposition to negotiations with criminal groups.
However, Husseini alleged that the bandit leader turned against the delegation upon arrival, taking them hostage and releasing only 11 members to deliver messages back to the community.
He further claimed that Jammo is demanding ₦24 million in exchange for three rifles allegedly recovered from his group.
“We are against any form of reconciliation because they are not trustworthy,” Husseini said.
The incident has renewed calls for intensified military operations in the Dajin Natsira forest, a region widely regarded as a major hideout for armed groups operating across parts of Zamfara State.
Both the local government chairman and the councillor urged security agencies to sustain pressure on criminal elements in the forest, arguing that successful operations there could improve security in several local government areas, including Talata Mafara, Bakura, Anka, Gummi, Bukkuyum, Maru and Bungudu.
They also appealed to Governor Dauda Lawal and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to support efforts aimed at restoring peace and protecting communities affected by bandit activities.
