Kidnappers Demand Food and Cash Before Ransom Talks
In a shocking turn of events, the abductors of 14 residents from the Janjala community in Kagarko Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State have made an unusual demand. The kidnappers have instructed the families to urgently provide food items to feed the victims before any discussions about ransom payments can begin.
This development comes after a violent raid on Saturday night when over 20 armed bandits, equipped with AK-47 rifles, stormed the community. During this attack, a vigilante member named Saleh Adamu and his wife, Fatima, were among the 14 individuals taken hostage. Additionally, 12 other residents were also abducted during the incident.
One of the victims, Shamsudeen Adamu, was seriously injured when he sustained a gunshot wound to his abdomen during the raid. The situation has left the community in a state of fear and uncertainty.
A community member acting as a liaison between the families and the bandits shared this information with our reporter via telephone on Tuesday. This source, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed that the leader of the bandits contacted them using one of the victims’ phones at approximately 5:12 pm on Monday.
During the call, the bandits demanded specific food items, including:
- A bag of rice
- A bag of guinea corn
- A bag of maize
- A jerrycan of palm oil
- Five cartons of spaghetti
- A carton of seasoning cubes
In addition to these food items, the bandits also demanded N1 million in cash. They claimed the money would be used to purchase “hard drugs,” energy drinks, cartons of cigarettes, and Indian hemp.
“The bandit leader called on Monday and said the victims in their captivity are facing serious hunger. He told me to ask the families to provide the food items and N1 million in cash, after which he would call back to discuss the actual ransom,” the source said.
The liaison attempted to plead with the bandit leader regarding the financial hardship faced by the families. However, the bandit immediately ended the call without further discussion.
Currently, consultations are underway with the victims’ families to meet the demands. The liaison noted that efforts are being made to secure the food items, as reports suggest the victims are starving.
However, a security source in Kagarko, who also requested anonymity, informed our reporter on Monday that they were unaware of the demand for food and cash. According to this source, a combined team of security operatives has been actively searching the forests between Sabon-Kurutu and Hayin-Dam since Sunday in an attempt to rescue the victims.
Despite the ongoing efforts, the spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Hassan Mansur, had not yet responded to the situation at the time of filing this report.
