Three weeks ago, a turbaned bandit leader, Ado Alero, kidnapped 91 locals from Wanzamai community in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State
On Friday evening, he killed two of the abductees, released 74 and withheld 15. This is despite the huge ransom locals paid to him.
Aleru was coronated as Sarkin Fulani of Yandoto emirate. The Emir of the Yandoto, Alhaji Aliyu Marafa, claimed the bandit warlord has repented and took in part in peace dialogue between the emirate and some bandits laying siege on the axis.
In response, the Zamfara State government suspended the emir and set up a six-man committee to investigate the emir’s intent. His younger brother, Mahe Garba Marafa, took over the emirate’s affairs. However, the suspended emir was reinstated last week.
But the coronated bandit warlord did not stop terrorising locals in Tsafe local council.
The recent abduction by his faction was said to be in retaliation for some of his boys killed by the Nigerian troops. He claimed Wanzamai villagers abetted the military in hunting down the slain bandits.
“We’ve secured 74 people now,” a source who took part in the negotiation process of the kidnapped victims told PREMIUM TIMES. “We’ve 15 people with the bandits now and we’re still talking with them while two of our people have been killed a week ago.”
The terror kingpin would later call to make his demands.
“When some of his boys said we must influence the government to withdraw the soldiers’ team leader, we tried to explain to him that we couldn’t do that. Some of the terrorists were not serious about the soldiers being withdrawn but some were, so we first tried to convince them that it was out of our hands. Even our village head spoke to the military commander in the state when he came to sympathize with us, but we didn’t ask them to withdraw the soldiers because they’re doing their best,” he said.
Alero had asked the locals to bring whatever they could raise as ransom. The villagers taxed themselves and raised N3 million.
The source added: “When we took the N3 million, he said he would keep it with him for the motorcycles that the soldiers took away and for his loss of four fighters. He asked us to go and settle his boys. In our presence, he called some of the boys that are holding the captives and told them to collect “something” from us.
“We went back and sold our property. Some of us sold their farmlands and houses to realize another N3 million for the boys. We took it there and they asked us to go back home. Yesterday (Friday) they called us to come and pick our people but when we went to the main road, we saw 74 instead of 91. They said they killed two people and are holding 15 because some of the bandits are insisting the money given to them was not shared equally.”
