GUSAU, Nigeria — A notorious bandit kingpin known as Jammo has betrayed and abducted 50 elderly residents of Magamin Diddi village, located in the Magami/Faru Ward of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, after luring them into a fake peace and reconciliation meeting.
The incident, which occurred deep inside the Muntsira Forest, has sparked outrage across the state. Local officials confirmed that the community members embarked on the dangerous mission independently, in direct violation of the Zamfara State Government’s strict anti-negotiation policy.
The Ambush and Ransom Demand
According to local reports, the community sent a 50-man committee of elderly citizens into the forest after Jammo claimed he was tired of banditry and wanted to finalize a truce. Instead, the armed gang immediately took them hostage upon arrival.
Following the mass abduction, the bandit kingpin released between 11 and 12 of the elders to send a message back to the village. Jammo is reportedly demanding a ransom of ₦24 million, claiming it is compensation for three military-grade rifles seized from his gang during a recent security raid. Currently, 38 elders remain trapped in captivity.
Government Disavows the Secret Peace Mission
Confirming the development, the Chairman of Maradun Local Government Council, Hon. Bello Dosara, stated that the local government was kept entirely in the dark about the meeting.
“We are completely against reconciliation with these bandits, and Governor Dauda Lawal has never supported that. Unknown to us, the people chose to go ahead with it on their own,” Dosara told reporters.
Dosara explained that the community was desperate because Jammo had blocked all access routes to their local market. To counter this, the council had been providing the villagers with armed security escorts every week so they could safely trade and return home, making the unauthorized truce attempt unnecessary.
Calls for a Military Strike
Local stakeholders and ward councillors are now calling on Governor Lawal and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to abandon any thought of negotiation and launch an immediate military offensive against the Muntsira Forest hideout. They note that this specific enclave has historically avoided direct ground confrontation by security forces, allowing criminal gangs to use it as a safe launchpad to terrorise up to six local government areas.
