Niger Insecurity: Bandits seize man who delivered N5m ransom money to them, refuse to release abductees

From John Adams, Minna

The impunity by armed bandits in Niger state continue on Sunday when a man who took N5million ransom to them was held back, asking the community to pay additional N1million and motorcycles for his release and 30 others still in captivity.

The bandits, after much plea by the community, agreed to collect N5million ransom for the release of 55 people, including women and children abducted from Zagzaga community in Munya local government area of the state last month.

However, on Saturday morning, a man from the community was delegated as instructed by the bandits to take the N5million to them in the bush only to be held back by the bandits who asked the community to pay additional N1million and four motorcycles before he can regain his freedom along the 55 people earlier being held.

But on Sunday night, the unexpected happened as no fewer than 19 of the captives escaped to freedom from the bandits dean, including the man who took the ransom to them, leaving about 37 still being held.

The village head of Zagzaga, Mallam Musa Umoru who confirmed the latest development to Daily Sun on phone, said the bandits after collecting the N5million ransom still asked the community to pay N1million for the man who took the money to them.

“We struggled to borrow the money when help could not come from anywhere to raise the N5million which they later agreed, but when we delegated someone to take the money to them, they decided to hold him back and asking us to pay N1million and four motorcycles for his release.

“They also said that they will not release the other people again until we pay the N1million before they can release all of them. We have borrowed enough and we don’t know who to meet for help again.

“Since this incident happened over a month now, nobody has come to the village here to even identify with us not to talk of helping us. We have sold everything we had labored for to be able to raise this money, and now they are asking for more again”, he lamented.

The village head also confirmed that 19 people including the man who took the ransom money to the bandits, miraculously escaped from the bandits on Sunday night, adding that despite that the bandits insisted that N1million must be paid.

This is in addition to the eight people, four men and four women that had earlier escaped two weeks ago. 19 people managed to escape last night (Sunday) but there is still 37 people with them.

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