Terrorists Moves To Kill Kidnapped Niger Victims
Terrorists in Niger State have set a June 15 deadline for the families of abductees to pay a ransom of N150 million. Failure to comply will result in the execution of five hostages daily until the ransom is paid.
The dire situation follows the abduction of 56 people from various communities within the Munya and Shiroro Local Government Areas.
The abductions took place over Sunday and Monday, with 30 people taken from Kakuru in Munya LGA and 26 from Adogo Mallam and Tunga Kawo communities in Shiroro LGA. Kakuru is located approximately five kilometers from Kuchi, where 150 individuals were abducted last week.
Among the abductees, a man whose wife and four children were taken was released by the terrorists to gather N60 million for his family’s release. Initial offers of N60,000 and then N100,000 per victim were rejected by the terrorists, who claimed these amounts were insufficient to cover the cost of their operations.
A source from the community expressed the prevailing despair: “The entire community is in mourning because there is no way that the people can afford this amount and, unfortunately, there is no effort from anywhere to rescue the people. Since this abduction started three weeks ago, no government official or security agents have visited the community. The government is aware of the situation, but nothing has been done.”
Alhaji Aminu Najume, Chairman of Munya LGA, confirmed the recent abductions and the ransom demands. He revealed that only two people had been released to collect money for their family’s release—a man taken with his wife and three children, and an elderly man released on health grounds, though his two children and their spouses remain captive.
Najume lamented the lack of security presence since the attack, emphasizing the vulnerability of the community due to the absence of security forces.
The ongoing crisis highlights the urgent need for governmental intervention and increased security measures to protect vulnerable communities and secure the release of those still held captive.
