We made no commitment to stop stealing cattle – Bandits

Armed bandits in Zamfara State have said the peace deal brokered between them, local vigilantes and the state government is on end to killing of innocent people but not on stealing of cattle.

Locals who reported some of the bandits as making such declaration, recalled that dozens of residents were displaced from the villages of Gizazza, Yashi, Buzuzu, and Rayau in Bukkuyum local government area when armed bandits raided their communities.

Zamfara State enjoyed relative peace after a deal between the bandits and the local vigilantes was brokered in December 2016 by the state government under the leadership of the deputy governor Alhaji Ibrahim Wakkala Muhammad. But pockets of deadly raids on some communities believed to have been carried out by some defiant armed bandits have shattered the peace process.

A resident Aminu Abubakar told Daily Trust that gunmen had attacked his community of Yashi and abducted women for ransom.

He said when they arrived they told locals in the communities that the peace agreement between them and the state government was purely on the stoppage of gruesome killings of residents but not ending cattle rustling.

“They said nothing would stop them from stealing cows and in these communities they have made away with over 1,500 cattle apart from abducing about five women who were released only after N1.4 million was raised and paid to the bandits,” he added.

In a similar development, the armed bandits raided some Fulani settlements near Kawaye village in Anka local government area and carted away a herd of cattle.

A resident identified as Murtala told our correspondent that bandits had earlier kidnapped the sons of some herders identified as Alhaji Jammo, Alhaji Amadu, Alhaji Namajo and Alhaji Nafarida who had to jointly raise N2.5 million as ransom before the sons regained freedom, but that shortly afterwards, the bandits bounced back and raided the settlement of Alhaji Amadu and took away about half of his cattle.