By Desire Emmanuel
Three elders from a community in Zamfara State who were abducted while on a peace meeting with bandits to negotiate have died in captivity while 47 others have regained their freedom after payment of a ransom of ₦35 million.
The elders from Magamin Diddi in Maradun Local Government Area of the state were abducted in early June by bandits loyal to a notorious bandit leader known as Jammo.
The delegation had travelled to the Muntsira Forest for a reconciliation and peace meeting to negotiate safe access to their farmlands when they were held by the marauders.
A source in the state told Impact Nigeria News Online on Thursday, July 2, that news filtered into the community on Wednesday afternoon about the release following the payment of the ransom involving authorities of the local government.
The elders were said to have arrived the community on Wednesday evening, as they later disclosed that three of them had died in captivity.
In another development, on Wednesday night, notorious bandits leader, Bello Turji and his men attacked Tarah community in Sabon-Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
They were said to have spent about an hour clashing with vigilantes before abducting an unknown number of residents, including women and children. Community members said 10 people were able to escape early on Thursday morning.
Another set of bandits also invaded to Takatsaba community in the same Sabon Birni local government area where 37 people were reportedly abducted and a 10-year-old child was killed by bullet.
The Northern part of the country, especially the North-West, has been under the grips of bandits and terrorists who unleash mayhem on residents of various communities, killing some and abducting others for ransom.
