Bandits abduct family members of victims after collecting foodstuff

The abductors of worshippers recently at Maza-Kuka in Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State have held two family members of the abductees who went to deliver cartons of Maltina, gallons of palm oil, bags of rice and other food items to them.

The abductors had earlier demanded N60m ransom, but a source in the community told Daily Trust that the bandits reviewed the ransom to N200,000 and also demanded that cartoons of Maltina, gallons of palm oil, rice and other food items be delivered to them.

The source said, “On Friday, N200,000 and packs of Maltina, gallons of palm oil and other food items were delivered to them, but they held the two persons who went to deliver the items, saying the food items were not enough. We spent close to N50,000 to buy the food items alone. They said we are playing with their intelligence.”

Corroborating the first source, another said, “Up to now those people have not released our people. They said we should bring N200,000 and food for them.”

Reacting, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, the Niger State police spokesman, said the command was doing everything possible to rescue the kidnapped people, noting that the police do not support the payment of ransom.

Daily Trust recalls that bandits invaded a mosque in Maza-Kuka on October 25, when the villagers were observing the early morning prayers, killed 18 of them and kidnapped 13 others.