The leader of one of the criminal groups responsible for the kidnapping of more than 300 boys last December in northwestern Nigeria has surrendered to authorities in exchange for an amnesty agreement, said Tuesday (February 9th). government of Zamfara State.
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On December 11, 2020, Awwalun Daudawa and dozens of gunmen kidnapped at least 344 boys from a boarding school in Kankara town, in neighboring Katsina state.
They had acted on behalf of the jihadist group Boko Haram, which claimed responsibility for the kidnapping in a video, but whose stronghold is hundreds of kilometers away, in northeastern Nigeria.
This kidnapping took place while President Muhammadu Buhari, from Katsina State, was in the region for a "
personal stay
".
The children were released after a week of captivity following negotiations between these gangs and the governments of Katsina and Zamfara.
Awwalun Daudawa surrendered to local authorities on Monday with six members of his armed group, local government spokesman Zailani Bappa said in a statement.
This gang leader "
handed over their arms
" and "
swore with his fighters on the Holy Quran not to return to their old practices,
" the statement said.
For nearly ten years, north-west and central Nigeria have been plagued by violence from criminal groups nicknamed "
bandits
", which have increased kidnappings for ransom and theft of cattle.
These gangs are motivated by greed, but some have forged strong links with jihadist groups present in the Northeast.
So far, the authorities have sought to negotiate peace agreements with these bandits, offering them amnesty in exchange for handing over their weapons.
Daudawa's surrender comes within the framework of these agreements, the statement said.
The kidnapping of these hundreds of boys had caused a worldwide stir, and revived the memory of the kidnapping by Boko Haram of more than 200 young girls in Chibok in 2014. This mass kidnapping was coordinated by Daudawa in collaboration with two others
Renowned
"
bandits
" Idi Minoriti and Dankarami, according to information gathered by AFP.
Awwalun Daudawa, 43, was originally a cattle thief who turned into arms trafficking, particularly between Libya and northern Nigeria, where he traded with criminal or jihadist groups.
Over time, he forged an alliance with Boko Haram and became their arms trafficker, a security source said.