• The Membership Club
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects & Partnerships
    • AUN-PT Data Hub
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • #PandoraPapers
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
      • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects & Partnerships
    • AUN-PT Data Hub
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • #PandoraPapers
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
Dansadau in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State

Signage to Dansadau in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State

Zamfara community celebrates two months of peace after deal with bandits

Residents of Dansadua are witnessing the longest period of peace in recent times since they cut a deal with bandits.

byAbubakar Ahmadu Maishanu
January 5, 2022
Reading Time: 3 mins read
2

Residents of Dansadau in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State are celebrating two months of peace that followed a truce in November between farming communities and cattle herders, including armed bandits, in the district.

Dansadau is about 100 kilometres from Gusau, the state capital, and is one of the communities worst hit by banditry in Zamfara.

Residents need security escort to travel to or from Gusau because, aside from attacking vulnerable agrarian communities in the area, bandits also routinely attack commuters in the lone highway connecting Dansadau to the state capital.

PREMIUM TIMES reported last year how bandits set ablaze a fuel tanker in the convoy of security agents to sabotage the supply of fuel to Dansadau town.

The bandits began their attacks on the highway to cut the supply of essentials to the town, in reprisal for the ban by residents on the sale of foodstuff and essential commodities to cattle herders.

How the peace dialogue was initiated

A traditional leader, Mustapha Umar, who holds the title of ‘Wazirin Dansadau’, told PREMIUM TIMES that the community entered into the peace deal following years of bloody conflicts between farmers and herders in the area.

Mr Umar said a leader of the bandits, Ali Kacallah, initiated dialogue when he sent emissaries to Dansadau community in the first week of November.

He said the state government, which endorsed military action against the bandits after its peace deal with them failed, gave its approval to the community to explore the initiative.

Atiku-Okowa AD

The traditional ruler said they accepted the request from Mr Kacallah because the vegetation of Dansadau and distance from the local government headquarters make it vulnerable to attack by bandits. The area sits at the edge of a forest of ungoverned boundaries with Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger states.

“Dansadau to Gusau is 97 kilometres but Dansadau to Maru, our local council headquarters, is 145 kilometres with only one access road,” the traditional ruler said.

He said the community realised it could not wait for the government to secure the area and thus agreed to engage the bandits in dialogue if it would bring about peace.

“We agreed on certain issues which include, from the side of the farming communities, to lift sanctions on the herder communities and allow them to enter Dansadau town to buy what they need without fear of being attacked by vigilante groups.

NAHCON State AD NAHCON Tour Operator AD NAHCON Cargo Operator AD

Kogi AD

TEXEM Advert

“However, any herder who enters Dansadau town with arms and the intention to steal or kidnap would bear the consequences of his action. This is part of our peace deal with them,” Mr Umar said.

The traditional ruler said the bandits on their part agreed to stop attacks on the Gusau-Dansadau highway and allow people to harvest their farm produce without fear of being attacked.

Also, the bandits agreed to release the people kidnapped from Dansadau unconditionally, Mr Umar said.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

“Kidnappings, attacks, killings of residents in farms and any location in Dansadau would stop. All these we agreed on and for over two months now there has been no such incident in the district,” he said.

The aftermath of peace dialogue

Mr Umar said residents no longer need security escorts to move between Gusau and Dansadau since the peace deal was sealed. “Residents now ply the road day and night without fear of attack,” he said.

“They (bandits) freed some of the kidnapped victims including some children that they kidnapped in July last year. We are witnessing an improved peacebuilding process and day by day things are getting better. We are optimistic that the situation will continue,” the traditional ruler said.

ALSO READ: Six months after kidnap, bandits release two more Kaduna school students

“Herders are again patronising shops in Dansadau town and farmers are also going to their farms and even staying late into the night without being kidnapped,” Mr Umar added.

“There is jubilation in Dansadau because we have witnessed a long period without attack,” he added.

Obstacles remain

However, Mr Umar said a lone incident of killings was recorded in the area on December 18 when some residents were repairing a bad portion of the Dansadau-Gusau road.

He said herders had joined the Dansadau community in contributing money for the repairs, to show their seriousness on the peace deal.

“However, while on the field, some vigilante members among the volunteer workers intercepted a motorcycle carrying some herders. One of the herders escaped and ran off to report to his kinsmen. They came on motorcycles and opened fire on the gathering, killing three people.”

The traditional ruler identified those killed as Musa Ibrahim-Hima, Aliyu Gidoga, and Mainasara Jan-kosai.

“That incident brought a setback but the bandits’ leaders were made to understand that the attack on the herders was not intentional and the persons involved were queried. We have since continued to live in peace with them,” the traditional ruler said.

Zamfara Government reacts

The state’s commissioner for security affairs, Mamman Tsafe, told PREMIUM TIMES that the state government has ruled out dialogue with the bandits but said communities can do so.

Mr Tsafe said cooperation between the security agencies and Dansadau community contributed to the peace the district enjoyed over the last two months.

“Residents are no longer taking the law into their hands which had usually resulted in reprisal killings,” the commissioner said.

“Although, Zamfara Government has ruled out dialogue with the armed bandits, we cannot stop community-based efforts by people who are at the receiving end. However, we counsel them on the grey areas to ensure that the animosity that existed between them are stopped

“We urged them not to take the law into their hands and they are heeding to that advice. They are also consulting us for counselling. The efforts are community-based so everybody is involved,” Mr Tsafe said.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print



Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate



TEXT AD: Call Willie - +2348098788999






PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Naira bounces back after record fall

Next Post

ASUU Chairman’s Abduction: Up your game, VC tells security agencies

Abubakar Ahmadu Maishanu

Abubakar Ahmadu Maishanu

More News

The Emir of Dutse in Jigawa State, Nuhu Muhammad-Sanusi

Emir of Dutse dies at 79

January 31, 2023
Kenneth Abang

Federal lawmaker’s aide abducted in Cross River

January 31, 2023
Godwin Emefiele, governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

UPDATED: Banks must accept old naira notes after 10 February deadline — Emefiele

January 31, 2023
Major General Leo Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff

NHRC set to probe allegation of secret abortion programme against Nigerian military

January 31, 2023
Ajagunigbala

How Ifa priest’s death while consorting with pastor’s wife threw community into confusion

January 31, 2023
COVID-19 vaccination [PHOTO CREDIT: @UNICEF_Nigeria]

EXPLAINER: What you need to know about Diphtheria

January 31, 2023
Read All Comment

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2022 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Digital Store
  • Home
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Gender
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • DONATE
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Dubawa NG
  • Careers
  • Contact Us

All content is Copyrighted © 2022 The Premium Times, Nigeria