Residents of Magami community in Gusau local government area of Zamfara State are in a state of confusion following an unexpected offer by notorious bandit kingpin, Dogo Gide, to protect them.
Gide’s proposal has stirred mixed reactions among the local populace and neighbouring communities.
LEADERSHIP gathered Gide, who recently relocated to Kizara village near Magami after a confrontation with the military in Madada Forest, has urged residents and farmers to return to their farmlands without fear of abduction. The offer has brought temporary relief to some, but also heightened concerns among others.
A resident of Dansadau Emirate, who requested anonymity for security reasons, expressed skepticism about the lasting impact of Gide’s offer. He warned that while it might allow farmers temporary access to their farmlands, it poses new risks for those travelling from Gusau due to the unrestricted movement of bandits in the area.
“He relocated to Kizara, but this agreement is just a temporary relief. It means we at Dansadau community will face serious problems when traveling. If there is an agreement between the bandits and Magami community, the bandits will move freely, leading to more attacks along the Gusau to Dansadau road,” the resident explained.
The source added, “Since Monday, it was only last night that people managed to reach Dansadau from Gusau. They had to wait for security clearance and military escorts at multiple points along the route. Any area with an agreement with bandits faces trouble due to their free movement. This is what we are suffering now.”
Residents of Dansadau in Maru Local government area of the State have voiced strong opposition to negotiating with bandits, citing numerous failed previous attempts. A community member stated they had engaged in over 10 negotiations with bandits without government involvement, all of which ended in disappointment.
“You cannot negotiate with bandits. They are not sincere. We have tried it in Dansadau ten times without government involvement, but it never yielded good results. They only reach an agreement to achieve their target and then back down. We no longer appreciate their negotiations,” the community member lamented.
He called for a more robust and decisive approach to combating banditry, advocating for enhanced security measures, increased military and police presence, improved intelligence gathering, and coordinated operations to dismantle bandit networks.
“Just yesterday, they came close to town and exchanged fire with the military and the JTF. The same thing happened two days ago,” he added. “We support the state government’s stance of not negotiating with bandits, but the Federal Government needs to enhance security with better equipment, possibly vehicles, to protect the communities.”
When contacted, the Military Information Officer of the Operation Hadarin Daji in the North-West, Captain Suleiman Omale, and the Spokesperson of the Zamfara State Police Command, ASP Yazid Abubakar, said they were not aware of Gide’s relocation to Kizara village. ASP Abubakar, however, promised to contact the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Dansadau for more information and provide an update.
“I am not aware of that information, but I will get in touch with the Dansadau DPO and get back to you,” ASP Abubakar stated.
