Residents of Birnin Magaji are holding family members of bandits, demanding the release of their people kidnapped by the gunmen.
Dateline Nigeria learnt that those being held by the Birnin Magaji youths are wives of the bandits, including a pregnant one.
The youths, according to the BBC Hausa, resolved to engage the bandits in a tit-for-tat after seven of their community members were kidnapped along with their vehicles.
According to the youths, only freedom for their abducted people can lead to the release of the bandits’ family members.
A resident of the area where the incident happened said, “The bandits’ wives were taken while passing through the community. The youths said they won’t release them until their people are freed.”
The resident added that the bandits had already spoken with their wives, who begged them to respect the demands of the residents so they could be freed.
Those abducted by the bandits, comprising five men and two women, were taken from their farms. One has however returned, it was learnt.
The Zamfara State Police Command could not be reached for comment.
