Abbas Yushau Yusuf
Dan Aji community in Faskari local government area of Katsina State has debunked the claims by Zamfara State Governor Alhaji Bello Mutawalle that 26 of its abducted young women were rescued by his government.
Earlier over the weekend, Zamfara state commissioner on security and home affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Dauran has handed over 26 abducted women from Katsina state whom he alleged were rescued by his government under it’s peace deal with the bandits.
Dauran alleged that the kidnapped women were released without paying any dime as ransom to the abductors.
In a twist of events however, a community leader in Dan Aji village where the women were abducted, Alhaji Lawal Dogara alleged in an interview with newsmen that the Zamfara government angle that the women were freely released was not true
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Dogara said his community had to pay a ransom of N6.6 million before the women were released by the bandits.
” Zamfara governor should stop taking credit for the release of our abducted women. We paid for their release” he warned.
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“It was two of our community leaders, Alhaji Abdulkarim Dan Aji and Liman Babangida Dan Aji that took the ransom to the bandits after trekking for three days inside the bush”.
He noted that the women were abducted on the 13 October 2020 during an attack on their village that was sharing border with Zamfara state.
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Earlier while receiving the rescued women in Katsina, Governor Aminu Bello Masari has given condition for peace with the bandits.
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Part of the conditions he said include handing their arms and show genuine commitment that they are truly ready for peace.
He said that the women would be reunited with their families in Dan Aji village in Faskari local government area.
