Fresh facts have emerged on how an 18-year-old man, Abubakar Sani of Birnin Magaji community in Zamfara State was assigned to hand over a N2.5 million ransom to the abductors of his father.
However, reports last night revealed that the man too has been abducted by the kidnappers, a family source said. Sunusi Sani, the elder brother of the boy, told an online news portal, PREMIUM TIMES yesterday that the ransom was agreed during negotiation with the suspected bandits on the telephone.
He said: “We sent the boy with the money. He was, however, abducted alongside our father.”
He said the bandits abducted Abubakar after collecting the ransom and also took away the motorcycle he rode to the location. Sunusi said the kidnappers have demanded an additional ransom. He said the bandits called and confirmed that they had abducted the ransom bearer too. “They said we have to pay N30 million ransom to secure the release of Sani and father.
“Our father has been in captivity for two months. We spend months sourcing for the N2.5 million only for the bandits to abduct another family member and requested for additional ransom. “We were speechless about the development. We don’t have anything to add, we have left everything in the hand of God,” Sunusi said.
Kidnapping for ransom has continued in Zamfara State despite the deployment of security personnel and billions of naira to improve the security situation. Armed bandits attack and abduct many in peasants communities at will. They kill and demand millions of naira as ransom. The raining season has arrived but many farmers in this agrarian location will not be cultivating the land for fear of abduction.
