Governor of Zamfara State Bello Matawalle has been informed that the bandits who kidnapped 85 people in Wanzamai village, Tsafe Local Government Area, have finally agreed to accept a ransom of N20,000 per victim. As a condition for the release, the kidnappers demanded that soldiers be withdrawn from the village. They set a deadline of midnight on Sunday, threatening to kill any victim who had not paid by that time, and warned that they would continue abducting villagers if military personnel remained.
Abubakar Na’Allah, a resident of the area, told The in a telephone interview that the bandits initially demanded N50 million for the release of the 85 abductees—mostly women and children who had gone to the forest to collect firewood last Friday. After negotiations, the kidnappers reduced the demand to N20,000 per person, acknowledging the victims’ impoverished backgrounds. Na’Allah said the families are scrambling to raise the money, often having to sell belongings. He mentioned that his sister’s daughter is among those kidnapped and that a community fund has been established to secure her release.
According to Na’Allah, the abduction was a retaliation for a military raid on the bandits’ camp the previous Thursday, which resulted in several bandits being killed. Villagers had been warned not to go to the forest, but some women and children ignored the advice, entered the forest to gather firewood, and were seized by the bandits. Two of the hostages managed to escape, while one was killed.
State Commissioner for Security Mamman Tsafe, also a native of Tsafe LGA, told The that the government will not yield to the bandits’ pressure to withdraw the troops stationed in Wanzamai. “We can’t be intimidated by the bandits to change our security plans,” he said. “We will not withdraw the military personnel attached to Wanzamai village, no matter the pressure by the bandits.”
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