Over 150 residents of Zamfara State, abducted by armed bandits, have appeared in a viral video pleading with the state government to engage in peace talks with their captors.
The footage, shared via TikTok by a notorious bandit leader, Ibrahim Musa (@Ibrahim.Musa99), showed men, women, and children from communities including Cogon Daji, Danabuce, Kuliya, Bayawa, Magulu, and Gidan Garduwa.
Speaking in Hausa, one of the victims described dire conditions in the forest hideout where they have been held for weeks.
The abductee lamented, “We are people from Cogon Daji, Danabuce, Kuliya, Bayawa, Magulu, Gidan Garduwa, and other areas in Zamfara State. We have been here for weeks. Our leaders are flying around with their families, while we are dying here of hunger.
“Please, the Zamfara State Government should consider our situation and come to dialogue with our abductors. We are suffering. We are starving. And we are human beings too.”
In what appears to be a calculated message from the gunmen, the abductee revealed that the bandits holding them have expressed readiness for peace talks but accused authorities of ignoring them.
The victim said, “We want to tell the Zamfara State Government that what we’ve seen here is that this insecurity is mainly due to a lack of understanding between government and these gunmen.
“The bandits are saying the government looks down on them, like they don’t know anything or have any rights. But they are saying they’re ready for dialogue. In our camp alone, we are over 150 people. Other camps have over 200. Some are uncountable.”
Watch the video below:
