Bring food, we’ll discuss ransom later, bandits tell families of Kaduna abductees

The abductors of 14 residents, including a vigilante and his wife, in the Janjala community of Kagarko LGA, Kaduna State, have demanded that families urgently provide food items to feed the victims. The kidnappers said this is a prerequisite before they will initiate discussions regarding ransom payments. Our  correspondent had reported that over 20 bandits […]

The abductors of 14 residents, including a vigilante and his wife, in the Janjala community of Kagarko LGA, Kaduna State, have demanded that families urgently provide food items to feed the victims.

The kidnappers said this is a prerequisite before they will initiate discussions regarding ransom payments.

Our  correspondent had reported that over 20 bandits wielding AK-47 rifles invaded Janjala on Saturday night, abducting a vigilante member identified as Saleh Adamu and his wife, Fatima, alongside 12 other residents.

One resident, Shamsudeen Adamu, sustained a gunshot wound to his abdomen during the raid.

A community member acting as a liaison between the families and the bandits, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, disclosed this development to our reporter via telephone on Tuesday.

The source revealed that the leader of the bandits called using one of the victims’ phones at about 5:12 pm on Monday.

During the call, the bandits demanded a bag of rice, a bag of guinea corn, a bag of maize, a jerrycan of palm oil, five cartons of spaghetti, and a carton of seasoning cubes.

The source further disclosed that the bandits ordered the families to raise N1 million in cash, which they claimed 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 added that when he attempted to plead with the leader regarding the financial hardship facing the families, the bandit immediately terminated the call.

He noted that consultations are currently underway with the victims’ families to meet the demands.

“We are trying to see if we can at least get the food items since reports indicate the victims are starving,” he added.

However, a security source in Kagarko, who also requested anonymity, told our reporter on Monday that they were unaware of the demand for food and cash.

The source stated that a combined team of security operatives has been combing the forests between Sabon-Kurutu and Hayin-Dam since Sunday in an effort to rescue the victims.

The spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Hassan Mansur, had yet to react to the development at the time of filing this report.