The Emir of Kaura Namoda, Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad Asha, couldn’t hide his joy as delegates converged on his palace to witness a meeting which would hopefully bring an end to the recurring hostility between armed bandits and the vigilante in Zamfara State.
The peace meeting, which had in attendance government officials, opinion leaders, security personnel and other stakeholders, brought the vigilante and armed bandits face to face for the first time since both sides agreed to stop hostilities.
The military men and police officials were led by the Commanding Officer of 223 Light Tank Battalion in the state, Lieutenant Colonel Abdullahi Adamu Aliyu, and the Divisional Police Officer of Kaura Namoda LGA, respectively.
As the crowd settled for deliberations, the Senior Special Assistant on Security to Governor AbdulAziz Yari, Alhaji Sani Gwamna Mayanchi, who led the government delegation, advised the warring parties not to revisit what happened earlier as it was capable of stirring up disagreements.
“We are here to draw a line and then forge ahead. We are not here to trade blames. If we do so, we will be plunged into fresh crisis and nothing meaningful will be achieved from the process,” he said.
When the warring parties were asked to present three persons each from their groups who would speak or negotiate on their behalf, the bandits nominated Ardo Nashawari.
“Before I say anything, I would like the vigilante leaders here to come forward and shake me. This should be a clear sign that peace has returned,” Ardo assured.
The vigilante leaders trudged followed and shook the hands of one of their hitherto greatest enemies to a thunderous ovation from everyone present.
“We have decided to drop our arms to give peace a chance. We have done this out of sympathy and despair. If we all look at our faces, whether a bandit or vigilante, we wear frustrating and gloomy looks. Damages have been done and both sides have suffered enough,” he continued.
“For many years, we weakened the rural economy through our activities. Farming, herding and trading in rural markets have become a nightmare. We stopped farmers from going to their farms; we’ve taken lives and destroyed property,” he confessed.
“For our brothers, the local vigilante, you have killed our kinsmen and we have also taken the lives of yours. We can’t continue like this anymore. Life has become brutish, nasty and short. Life has become meaningless in our once peaceful communities.”
“When we took up arms and started chasing farmers out of their farmlands, rustled cattle and other domestic animals in our villages, poverty stepped in. We have all borne the brunt of our misconducts.”
Ardo, who blamed the devil for what happened, confessed that they were tired of living a miserable life. He added that no meaningful development could be achieved in an atmosphere of chaos.
“Even if you own the whole property in the state, your life will be meaningless if you are restricted to a limited area. Since the beginning of the horrific assaults on our villages, many of us have been confined to the forest. None of us could come to the city for fear of being identified and killed,” he added.
He however assured the peace mediators that normalcy would soon return as they would strive hard to see that the agreements reached are fully abided by and implemented.
Another bandits’ leader, Shehu Bagiwaye, had assured the gathering that people can go ahead and attend Gusami rural market as a sign that peace is gradually returning, and that their safety would be guaranteed. He asked the vigilante group to also attend the market saying, “The vigilantes should have nothing to fear,” he assured.
Gusami rural market in the neighbouring Birnin Magaji local government area was one of the markets that were a no-go-area at the time armed banditry was at its peak in the state.
The outlaws had taken over the market. A source told our reporter that they had instituted themselves as lords there. They would attend the market brandishing all sorts of rifles. The vigilante, no matter how brave, never attempted going there.
One of the leaders of the bandits told Daily Trust that seven years ago he was not an outlaw, but was forced into armed banditry after a group of vigilantes invaded his settlement and killed all living things there including his father and children. He was the only one that managed to survive the deadly raid. How he escaped remained a mystery to him.
The leader of the vigilante group, Kabir Musa Kurya, said they were satisfied with the deals reached during the meeting, urging stakeholders to closely monitor the peace process.
He said the bandits were now free to go to Dogon Kade Market. Dogon Kade is another rural market that was inaccessible to the bandits then. No robber or cattle rustler risked going there.
At the Emir of Shinkafi’s Palace where another peace meeting took place, the atmosphere became very tense after a vigilante leader demanded for the arrest of the bandits responsible for the sexual molestation of women in the area.
“If there is anything dehumanizing and unforgivable, it is the sexual harassment of our women and the bandits’ leader knows some of the culprits, therefore, they should be fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law,” he noted.
The assertion generated a heated debate. The Emir of Shinkafi and the government’s lead negotiator Alhaji Sani Gwamna Mayanchi, intervened and asked that the demand be overlooked for the sake of peace.
Alhaji Mayanchi had asked the bandits’ leader to tell Fulani herdsmen who had fled the state over the years, owing to the conflicts, to come back to their settlements.
He said all the deals reached during the peace talks must be observed in order to calm frayed nerves and win back the confidence of the people.
Since the peace process started about three months ago, there have not been reported cases of attacks on hapless rural communities in the state, an indication that peace is gradually returning after years of hostilities. (Daily Trust)
