Bandits Kill 38 Kidnap Victims After Collecting N50m Ransom in Zamfara
Tragedy struck Banga Village in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State as 38 out of 56 kidnapped residents were reportedly killed by bandits after the payment of over N50 million in ransom.
Aminu Musa Banga, a resident of the affected community, revealed in a telephone interview with LEADERSHIP that the victims were abducted in recent months, with the bandits demanding N1 million for each hostage. Despite the ransom being paid, only 18 people were released alive.
“These bandits killed 38 of our men and one woman while they were in their custody. We received this report from 16 of our people who were released by these bandits,” Banga stated.
He further explained that the victims were slaughtered one by one, even after the ransom was paid. According to him, the village and surrounding communities are now largely deserted due to the persistent attacks, with the bandits effectively controlling the area.
Banga appealed to both the Federal Government and Zamfara State Government to urgently deploy security personnel to the area to curb the menace and restore peace.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Kaura-Namoda Local Government Area, Hon. Mannir Mu’azu Haidara, said the released victims were in critical condition due to severe beatings suffered in captivity and are currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Kaura Namoda.
“God willing, we will not be tired of continuing to take appropriate measures and working hand in hand with security agencies and the State Government under the leadership of Dr. Dauda Lawal, which is firmly committed to overcoming this problem of insecurity that plagues us day and night,” Haidara said.
However, the Zamfara State Police Command stated that it was unaware of the incident.
Police Public Relations Officer, Yazid Abubakar, said no report of the killings or kidnappings had been officially lodged with the command.
He urged communities to report such incidents promptly to enable law enforcement agencies to take immediate and effective action.
