Their destination was the Muntsira Forest, and their goal was to meet with a notorious bandit kingpin known as Jammo. The delegation aimed to negotiate an end to the relentless attacks terrorizing their community and to plead for access to their farmlands, which are essential for their survival. This initiative, born out of desperation after years of violence and what they perceive as inadequate state protection, ended in betrayal. Instead of engaging in dialogue, the bandits seized the entire delegation, holding all fifty men hostage.
The situation took a grievous turn with the confirmation that five of the elders have lost their lives during this captivity. In his heartfelt message, Engineer Bakauye expressed his profound sorrow and extended his deepest sympathies to the bereaved families of the deceased. He painted a poignant picture of the loss, stating that such violence does more than just claim innocent lives; it systematically tears apart the very social fabric and cripples the economic stability of Zamfara State. He emphasized that communities already living under the shadow of prolonged insecurity are pushed further into despair by such acts, undermining any hope for normalcy and development.
Bakauye’s statement, however, quickly moved from mourning to a pointed political critique. He strongly condemned the recent remarks made by Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, who had publicly blamed the fifty community elders for initiating the peace dialogue with the bandits. Bakauye framed the elders' mission as a direct consequence of governmental failure, arguing that when the state apparatus fails in its fundamental duty to protect lives and property, citizens are left with no choice but to seek their own paths to safety, however dangerous.
He posed a poignant question, challenging the governor's stance: if the state government could not protect them, why should they be denied the right to seek dialogue that might bring peace to their homes and farms? The PDP candidate expressed profound disappointment at the state government's apparent inaction in rescuing the hostages. He lamented that the government did not intervene with a decisive security operation but instead left the community to navigate the crisis alone, a process that tragically involved negotiations for ransom and ultimately led to the death of three elders.
This, Bakauye suggested, highlighted a catastrophic failure in leadership and compassion. Beyond the immediate tragedy, Bakauye’s message underscored the urgent and escalating banditry crisis that has plagued Zamfara and much of northern Nigeria for years. He called for a collective and robust response, urging federal and state security agencies to intensify their efforts to protect civilians, dismantle criminal enclaves, and restore a lasting peace. He also appealed to community leaders and residents to remain vigilant and to cooperate with legitimate security initiatives.
In a spiritual appeal reflective of the region's faith, Bakauye offered prayers to Allah, seeking divine intervention to end the scourge of terrorism not only in Zamfara but across the entire nation. He concluded by stressing that sustainable peace requires a multifaceted strategy. While enhanced security deployments are immediately necessary, he argued that they must be integrated with comprehensive socio-economic programs designed to address the root causes of the unrest.
Issues such as pervasive poverty, youth unemployment, and lack of education and opportunity create the fertile ground from which banditry and criminality grow. Without tackling these foundational problems, Bakauye implied, any security solution would be temporary. His statement, therefore, serves as both a eulogy for the fallen, a rebuke of current leadership, and a policy prescription for a state in desperate need of healing and security.
