Families of the victims abducted along the Kaduna-Abuja road have turned to the public for financial assistance, frustrated by what they perceive as the government’s lack of commitment to their plight. Arewa PUNCH investigations reveal that relatives of the kidnapped individuals are actively seeking funds from well-meaning Nigerians to meet the N50 million ransom demanded by the terrorists for the release of their loved ones.
According to Arewa Punch correspondents, families of nine of the kidnapped persons have published their bank account details and contact information, including telephone numbers, soliciting contributions to secure the quick release of their family members from their captors. The abductors had reportedly reached out to the families, specifying the ransom amount during the communication.
The tragic incident occurred last Sunday when over 30 travelers were abducted along Dogon-Fili near the Katari general area in the Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State. A leader from the affected communities, speaking anonymously due to fear of reprisal from the bandits, disclosed that similar incidents had previously occurred in three communities—Badoko, Dudumishini, and Kwakware. Additionally, four residents were killed by the terrorists.
Despite the Kaduna State Police Command confirming the incident, they denied that the terrorists carried out any abductions. The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansur Hassan, stated that operatives engaged the hoodlums in a fierce battle, resulting in six travelers sustaining gunshot injuries.
Contrary to the police statement, families of the abducted victims, through a viral WhatsApp message, asserted that nine children from the families of Alhaji Ibrahim Sadoh and Alhaji Abdulwahab Abubakar were among those abducted. The families confirmed that contact had been established with the kidnappers, who demanded a N50 million ransom for the release of the victims. The abducted children, as per the families, sounded distressed but unharmed during their communication with their parents.
