Dozens kidnapped in northwest Nigeria after bandits invite them to talks

According to a statement from the Zamfara State Police Command, 39 people were seized when they attended the meeting in the forest. Local residents and officials, however, indicated that the number of abductees might be as high as 50. The victims were reportedly meeting with relatives of a bandit leader in an effort to negotiate peace and lift movement restrictions imposed on their community.

Zamfara State is central to a protracted security crisis characterized by mass kidnappings, killings, and village raids by armed groups locally known as bandits. This violence has severely disrupted agricultural activities and led to the displacement of thousands.

The police confirmed that security forces and intelligence assets have been deployed to find the victims. Some locals reported that several individuals were released to carry the kidnappers' ransom demands back to the village. Bashar Aliyu, a resident of Magamin Diddi, stated that the bandits are demanding 125 million naira (approximately $91,880) for the release of those abducted.

In many affected communities, residents have resorted to direct negotiations with armed groups to access farmland or secure the release of abducted individuals, a practice that authorities have discouraged but found difficult to prevent.