Lured To Negotiate, Taken Hostage: 39 Zamfara Elders In Bandits’ Den

The litany of abductions in the North West, especially Zamfara, has become a source of concern as bandits impose humongous levies on markets and farmlands. In this report, NICHOLAS DEKERA x-rays the circumstances surrounding the failed elders’ peace accord and the abduction of elders, which led to the death of one of the victims.

Banditry in Zamfara has evolved beyond isolated attacks into a structured system of control marked by forced taxation, abductions, and imposed agreements on vulnerable communities.

What was meant to be a peace overture by community elders instead exposed the deep risks of engaging armed groups whose promises of dialogue are often shadowed by violence. The failed encounter underscores the fragile balance between survival and negotiation in a region where trust is scarce and security remains elusive.

Bandits under the leadership of notorious bandit kingpin Jammo, on June 7, 2026, abducted 39 elders during what was meant to be a peace meeting.

The elders were reportedly en route to meet Jammo’s father for a peace accord aimed at reducing hostilities and securing safer passage for communities. However, the delegation was ambushed and abducted along the way, turning what was intended as a reconciliation effort into another tragic episode in the region’s cycle of violence

Community sources revealed to LEADERSHIP Sunday that trouble started when a formation of the Zamfara State Security Force, Askarawa, intercepted men believed to be bandits loyal to notorious kingpin Jammo. After a prolonged gun battle, two of Jammo’s men were neutralised and two AK-47 rifles were recovered by the Zamfara State Security Force, Askarawa.

Multiple sources, however, confirmed to our correspondent , that days later, the bandit kingpin Jammo, and his men ambushed the Askarawa Security Force in a counterattack, killing two Askarawa operatives and taking away their two AK-47 rifles.

Ordinarily, one would have thought that that’s one–one and the matter should be settled,” one of them stated.

Residents of Magami Diddi maintained that, days later, Jammo shut down the market and farming activities, imposing heavy taxes of N25 million. However, as the rainy season began, they disclosed that the elders met with Jammo’s parents at Fadama to seek peace so that farming activities could resume. The proceedings of the meeting , according to them , went on smoothly on the first day, but the elders were asked to leave and return after two days. On their second visit, the elders fell into an ambush.

Speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP Sunday, the chairman of Maradun local government, Hon. Bello Dosara, said the elders met with the bandit kingpin without government approval.

Dosara said, “I am the chief security officer for Maradun; they should have contacted me at least. Nobody informed me because they know the leadership of Zamfara State, led by Governor Dauda Lawal, has openly barred negotiations with bandits. I have confirmed just a few seconds before your call came in that 11 elders were released, while 39 remain. The incident happened on June 7 at about 3pm.”

He released the 12 to just brief the people on the unfortunate incident,”

” Dosara added.

Confirming the incident Police public relations officer,  Zamfara State Command , DSP Yazid Abubakar said ,” police has commenced efforts to rescue thirty-nine (39) persons allegedly abducted by armed bandits in the Magamin Diddi area of Maradun local government area.

He revealed that a report received from the divisional police officer, Maradun division, indicated that on June 8, 2026, at about 1100hrs, a letter was submitted by the district head of Magamin Diddi reporting a mass abduction incident that occurred on June 7, 2026, at about 1500hrs.

According to the report, a group of 47 residents of Magamin Diddi mobilised themselves and proceeded to the Fadama forest within the Magamin Diddi axis to meet the parents of a notorious bandit leader identified as Jimo Smally, in an apparent effort to reconcile and engage in peaceful dialogue.

However, while the meeting was ongoing, the bandit kingpin allegedly arrived at the location with members of his gang and forcefully abducted 39 members of the group to an unknown destination.

Upon receipt of the report, the Zamfara State Police Command immediately initiated efforts to trace the whereabouts of the victims and secure their safe rescue. Operational assets were deployed, and security operatives worked on available intelligence to locate the abducted persons.

Barely 72 hours after the abduction of the elders of Magamin Diddi, LEADERSHIP Sunday exclusively obtained, from the District secretary of Magamin Diddi, Sanusi Magami Maradun, the names of the abducted elders.

Meanwhile Magami revealed that the identity of the other 5 elders are not clear as contact within the community is ongoing.

Sanusi also confirmed that 125 million naira is being demanded by the bandits, 25 million for his two guns and 100million for the freedom of the elders and farming approval for the community this year.

Meanwhile, Magami revealed that the identities of the other five elders are not yet clear, as contact within the community is ongoing.

Sanusi also confirmed that N125 million is being demanded by the bandits N25 million for the two rifles and N100 million for the freedom of the elders, as well as approval for farming activities in the community for the year.

Regrettably, one of the abducted elders, Bako Abdullahi Yarfara, 67 years old, died in captivity, while another elder, Ali Zagaru, escaped from his abductors.

In an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday on Wednesday morning, Ali Zagaru, who escaped on Tuesday night, confirmed that one of the elders, Bako Abdullahi Yarfara, was killed. He said he was killed on the seventh day of June, the same day Jammo’s men abducted them.

The abductors were hurrying us into the thick forest. Our brother, Bako Abdullahi Yarfara, could not walk very fast, so they shot and killed him. They carried his body to a nearby village and buried him according to Islamic rites,” he said.

According to Ali Zagaru, Jammo, the bandit kingpin, is demanding N125 million from the Magamin Diddi community N25 million for the two AK-47 rifles recovered by the Askarawa Security Forces after killing his men, and N100 million for the release of the elders and permission for the Magamin Diddi community to farm without interruption.

Ali Zagaru added that “Jammo’s camp is like living in hell. They torture us mercilessly every morning and evening. We ate only once since the day they took us. Thank God I managed to take a secret opportunity to escape from the camp.”

Also speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP Sunday, Ibrahim Ahmed, the younger brother of the slain elder Bako Abdullahi Yarfara, said: “It is a very painful loss, but we leave everything to God; He knows best. My brother had one wife and six children. We were told they buried him close to one village. How long do we continue like this? The security men are trying their best, but we need more personnel with better weapons. We don’t have hope of farming for now.”

Meanwhile, worried family members of the abducted elders ,( mostly  wives ) say they are living in fear and uncertainty, as they do not know the exact fate of their loved ones. Many of them, however, are afraid to speak openly, fearing that any comment perceived as provocative could further endanger the captives or attract reprisals from the bandit kingpin’s camp.

They explained that communication in the community has become increasingly tense, with silence often seen as the only means of survival. While they continue to hope for the safe return of the abducted elders, they say the situation has left them emotionally broken and unable to carry out normal daily activities, especially as farming season hangs in the balance.

Security experts say the Magamin Diddi incident highlights a recurring and dangerous pattern in parts of Zamfara, where armed groups exploit weak rural security to assert control through kidnappings, forced levies, and intimidation.

Mr. Ekpungo Umehe , when contacted, said they noted that community-led peace initiatives, when carried out without strong state security backing, can easily be manipulated by armed actors, turning reconciliation efforts into opportunities for abductions.

Another security expert who spoke on the matter, Abdullaziz Abdulrahman, warned that the situation reflects gaps in intelligence gathering, rural surveillance, and rapid response capacity.

According to him, sustained deployment, improved coordination among security agencies, and stronger protection of negotiation or dialogue processes are necessary to prevent similar tragedies and restore confidence in affected communities.