Bandits release 56 abductees after 6 months in captivity

Bandits have released the remaining 56 farmers abducted in Adunu and adjoining communities in Paikoro LGA of Niger State after spending six months in captivity.

Residents said the victims were kidnapped on March 14, 2023 and had remained in bandits’ den due to the inability of their families to pay ransom on time.

Bandits had earlier released a video threatening to kill the remaining people in their captivity if ransom was not paid.

The Coordinator of Justice, Development and Peace Commission, Catholic Diocese of Minna, Rev. Fr Bahago Dauda Musa, told City & Crime that the victims were released recently, adding that the returnees were in need of mental health support to recover from the trauma.

“My interactions with the victims of banditry in Niger State have not been a wonderful one; it has been a traumatic one. These victims had gone through a lot of trauma; so many of them were kidnapped, or loved ones had been kidnapped. So, so many of them who had returned from the hands of bandits after weeks or months in captivity are now battling with post-traumatic disorder and that is seriously affecting their mental health,” he said.

He appealed to the state government and experts to assist in rendering mental health support to the abductees to enable them to recover from the post-abduction traumatic disorder.