No fewer than 40 worshippers were kidnapped yesterday morning from a mosque in Gidan Turbe Village, Tsafe Local Council of Zamfara State.
The attack, which occurred around 5:30 a.m. during morning prayers, has been described by stakeholders as a clear signal of the collapse of peace deals struck with terrorists in Zamfara and Katsina states.
On August 28, community leaders in Kurfi, Katsina State, had signed a landmark pact with bandits aimed at ending years of violence, kidnappings, and cattle rustling.
The deal, brokered at Wurma Forest by traditional and local government leaders, saw top bandit leaders pledge to cease hostilities, free captives, and allow farmers back to their fields.
Less than a month later, however, the Zamfara abduction cast doubt on the sustainability of such agreements.
Community sources said the attackers whisked away the captives into forests around the Gohori axis in Tsafe.
Meanwhile, troops under Operation Fansan Yamman reported foiling attacks and recovering items during operations in Katsina, Kebbi, and Zamfara.
In Kankara, Katsina, soldiers ambushed terrorists near Gatakawa Village, seizing a motorcycle and a mobile phone.
Despite the setback, no fewer than seven Katsina local councils—Danmusa, Jibia, Batsari, Kankara, Kurfi, Musawa, and Faskari—have sealed similar peace deals with repentant terrorists.
The Faskari pact, signed Sunday, involved some notorious bandits wanted for recent deadly attacks, including the massacre of over 30 worshippers in Malumfashi.
The agreements allow residents safe access to farmlands and markets, while repentant bandits pledge to defend communities against rival groups.
However, the Katsina State Government clarified that it has not initiated these peace deals, insisting its policy remains one of zero negotiations with bandits.
Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasir Muazu, explained that the initiatives were community-driven.
He linked the roots of banditry to greed, envy, climate-induced resource conflicts, and long-standing social injustices.
Muazu added that banditry, which affected only five council areas between 2011 and 2015, had spread to 25 councils after the collapse of an earlier amnesty programme under former Governor Aminu Bello Masari (2015–2023).