It is peace efforts go bad, as no fewer than 50 elders sent to reconcile with bandits have been kidnapped during the reconciliation meeting.
The incident happened in Magamin Diddi village in the Magami/Faru Ward of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara state, where it happened.
Chairman of Maradun Local Government Area, Bello Dosara who confirmed the incident said the villagers did not seek clearance before embarking on the peace and reconciliation meeting.
This is amidst fears that further peace efforts in the embattled area may have been endangered.
Speaking to journalist, an indigene Musa Sani, said the reconciliation effort was informed by the need to get the villagers return back to the farms to tend to their crops.
“The people of the community held a meeting and decided to reconcile with the bandits to allow us to go to our farms this year.
“But unfortunately, the bandits disagreed with the peace accord and decided to kidnap all 50 elders sent to them,” he said.
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Dosara, stating that both the local and state governments were against any reconciliation meeting with bandits, added: “We are against reconciliation with bandits, and we have repeatedly warned our people to desist from such dangerous arrangements.
“Everybody knows that Governor Dauda Lawal is against reconciliation with bandits.”
“I wonder why the community made the mistake of meeting with people who were looking for whom to kidnap,” he said.
It was later confirmed that the bandits had released 11 of the abducted elders.
