Bandits release abducted medical Director, health workers in Zamfara, refund N5m ransom



The Medical Director of Dansadau General hospital in Zamfara State, Dr Mansur Muhammed Dansadau and two other health workers, abducted in Dansadau emirate have regained their freedom. from the kidnappers.
The kidnapped workers were released by their abductors on Friday night after seven days in captivity and after N5 million ransom was paid to their kidnappers.
It was also learnt that the kidnappers had refunded the N5 million ransom a few hours after the payment.
Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, in Zamfara State, Dr. Mannir Bature confirmed the development in an interview with reporters.

According to Bature, “Why the bandits refunded the five million naira ransom paid to them is still surprising us.”
Herders who are committed to lasting peace with the Dansadau farming communities intervened and secured the freedom of the health workers as well as facilitated the refund of the N5 million ransom the terrorists demanded.
Dr. Muhammad and two other health workers were abducted last Saturday along the Gusau – Dansadau highway in Maru Local Government Area of the state.
According to the sources, some concerned herders escorted the ransom bearer, Sama’ila Nagogo, to the delivery location where they caught the bandits, and took them to their superiors.
“The herders asked the bandits to free their victims and return the N5 million ransom as the health workers were very much concerned with their health which they complied.”
This he said was a result of the peace accord between members of the community, herdsmen and bandits in the area after years of attacks and counterattacks between the locals and the bandits.
“I am sure that those kidnappers are probably not aware of the peace accord between the crop farmers and the cattle herders around the Dansadau axis.
“The communities in the axis came to the conclusion that the government was doing nothing to secure the entire area, prompting the agreement in the interest of peace.
Dansadau, which shares boundary with some forests bordering Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger States, is 97 kilometres from Gusau, Zamfara State capital and for over a decade now, the axis had been the colony of the bandits.

It was also gathered that the released victims had been reunited with their families after thorough medical checks.
Some ward attendants and a relation of a patient were abducted in the same Dansadau General hospital last year.