Thirty five kidnapped victims from Banga village in Kaura-Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State were reportedly slaughtered by bandits after failing to raise a N35 million ransom.
According to Punch Online, a resident of the village, Sani Suleiman, revealed on Sunday, July 27, that bandits had abducted 53 people from Banga village and demanded a ransom of one million naira for each captive.
Suleiman said that the victims had been in captivity for several months, but only 18 of them, who were able to pay the ransom, were released.
“Those who were released after paying the ransom told us that the bandits slaughtered the remaining 35 captives who could not pay the ransom one after the other in their presence,” he said.
Suleiman appealed to the state government to intervene and deploy security personnel to the area, warning that residents might be forced to flee in search of safety as the village was under the bandits’ control.
Ahmed Danmanga, the Special Adviser on Security Matters to the state Governor Dauda Lawal, also confirmed the incident but said he could not verify the exact number of residents killed.
“I am aware that the bandits have killed some residents of Banga village, but actually, I don’t know the exact number of people killed.
“As I am talking to you now, we have deployed mobile police to protect the lives and properties of the people of the village. Zamfara State Government is working around the clock to ensure that the people of the state are given maximum protection against banditry and other criminal activities.
Danmanga lamented that the state remained handicapped by inadequate security personnel.
Zamfara State has faced insecurity, losing hundreds of its residents to the menace in recent years.
While bandits and terrorists have been largely responsible, politicians and traditional rulers have also been found to be among the sponsors of the attacks.
Recall that a member of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Aminu Ibrahim, representing Kaura Namoda State Constituency, was arrested last year over alleged involvement in banditry and kidnapping in the state.
In 2019, the committee on armed banditry set up by the Zamfara State government submitted its report, with a recommendation for the removal of five emirs and 33 district heads in the state.
The committee chairman and former Inspector General of Police, Muhammad Abubakar, recommended the deposition of the emirs and district heads (whose names were not made public) following their alleged involvement in a series of atrocities committed by armed bandits and cattle rustlers in the state.
The ICIR reports that Zamfara State has faced security challenges over the years, ranging from insurgent attacks to banditry. Many communities across about 14 LGAs have been displaced, with residents of Maru, Anka, Shinkafi, Maradun, Zurmi, Gusau, and Bungudu LGAs being the worst hit.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.