Bandits in Zamfara State abduct 39 residents after an ambush during a planned peace and reconciliation meeting, police say. The incident occurs in and around the Maradun Local Government Area, involving people from the Magamin Diddi community. According to reports, the abducted group is part of a wider delegation—described in one account as 50 people—that travels to meet a notorious bandit leader in an effort to broker understanding and address local disputes, including farmland access.
Police authorities say rescue operations are underway and that they are responding to the abduction. One outlet reports that the meeting follows a decision by the delegation to proceed despite opposition from the state government to negotiations or dealings with criminal groups. Another report characterizes those taken as “elders,” while also describing them as residents participating in the reconciliation effort.
Across the accounts, the central points are consistent: the meeting is targeted, 39 people are taken by bandits, and authorities launch efforts to recover the victims.
