Bandits free Zamfara heath workers, return N5m ransom
The abducted Chief Medical Director of Dansadau General Hospital and two other health workers in Zamfara were released by their Captors on Friday night after seven days in captivity
Five million naira ransom was paid to bandits for their release but was refunded a few hours after the payment.
The Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association Zamfara State Chapter Dr. Mannir Bature confirmed this to newsmen.
He said cattle herders who are committed to a lasting peace with the Dansadau farming communities, intervened and secured the release of the health workers as well as facilitated the refund of the N5 million ransom the bandits took.
Dr. Mansur Muhammad alongside two other health workers was kidnapped last Saturday along the Gusau – Dansadau highway in the Maru Local Government Area of the state
Kidnapping for ransom has become a daily affair along the Popular Magami – Gusau – Dansadau highway
A reliable source said that some concerned cattle herders escorted the ransom bearer, Sama’ila Nagogo to the delivery location and caught the armed bandits, and took them to their superiors.
“The cattle herders asked the bandits to free their victims and return the N5 million ransom which they did, the Source Said.
“The ransom according to him was returned to the owner” he added.
This according to our source is a result of the peace truce between members of the community, cattle Headers, and bandits in the area after years of attack and counter-attacks between the locals and the bandits.
“I am sure those Abductors are probably not aware of the peace truce entered between the crop farmers and the cattle herders around the Dansad axis” .
The communities around the area came to the conclusion that government can only do little or nothing to secure the area which prompted the agreement in the interest of peace.
The release Victims were reunited with their families after thorough medical checks
It would be recalled that some ward attendants and a relation of a patient were Abducted in the same Dansadau General Hospital last year.
Dansadau is ninety-seven kilometers from Gusau, Zamfara State capital, and is vulnerable to attack by bandits.
The area sits at the edge of a forest bordering Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Niger states.
