Terrorists abduct 56 people, gives villagers deadline to raise ransom
Terrorists have abducted 30 people from Kakuru in Munya local government area and 26 people from Adogo Mallam and Tunga Kawo communities in Shiroro local government area of Niger state.
The abductions occured on Sunday and Monday in the different communities in Niger state.
Kakuru community where 30 people were abducted is about five kilometers from Kuchi community where 150 people were abducted last week.
The terrorists who abducted the 150 villagers from Kuchi community are demanding for N150 million ransom for the release of the abductees making it N1 million per person and have given the families of the abductees a deadline of 15th June to pay up the ransom or five of the victims would be killed on a daily basis until the ransom is paid.
The terrorists had released a man whose wife and four children were among the abductees asking him to go and source for N60 million for the release of his family members.
The Nation learnt that the community had initially offered N60,000 for the release of each victim which was rejected, they raised the money to N100,000 which was also rejected by the terrorists.
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A source in the community said that the terrorists claimed that the money offered by the community was not up to the amount they use in hiring their guns or buying bullets disclosing that they will not reduce the ransom from what they had demanded for.
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“The entire community is in mourning mood right now because there is no way that the people can afford this amount and unfortunately there is no any effort from anywhere to rescue the people.
“Since this abduction started three weeks ago, no government official or security agents has visited the community. The government is aware of the situation but nothing has been done”, he added.
The chairman of Munya local government council Alhaji Aminu Najume confirmed the latest abduction of the additional 30 people and the demand of ransom from the terrorists.
“Only two people were released to go and source for money for the release of their family members. A man who was kidnapped alongside his wife and three children was asked to go look for the money.
“Another one is an old man who was released on health ground but his two children and their wives are being held and was equally asked to go and source for money for their release”, he said.
The chairman lamented that there is no security in the community since the attack occured adding that the community is porous because of the absence of security.
The Niger state Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) also confirmed the abductions of the persons in Shiroro local government area.
The Director General of NSEMA, Alhaji Abdullahi Baba-Arah in a statement said, “The Agency is also in receipt of reports of persistant banditry activities at Shiroro and Mashegu local government areas.
“On Sunday, a village called Adogo Mallam was attacked, six persons were kidnapped, while on Monday, Tunga Kawo communities located three kilometres away from Erena of Shiroro was attacked where over 20 persons were kidnapped with hundreds of cows rustled,” he said.
