Niger community pays bandits N5m, motorcycles, handsets, to free District Heads’ wives

Residents of Zungeru community in Wushishi Local Government Area of Niger State, have reportedly had to contribute N5m, motorcycles and handsets to pay as ransom to rescue two wives of the District Head from bandits.

The women who are wives of Mallam Mustapha Madaki, the community leader, gained their freedom on Tuesday, one week after they were abducted on June 7.

The gunmen numbering about 20 in a convoy of motorcycles, reportedly stormed the community at about 1.30am on the day of the incident and went straight to the residence of the District Head where they abducted two of his wives.

After taking the women into the forest, the bandits contacted their husband and placed a N10m ransom on them.

A source in the palace of the village head said after days of negotiations, the residents managed to raise N5m out of the initial N10m demanded by the abductors.

Apart from the money, the community also bought five motorcycles and 100 handsets for the bandits before the women were released.

Read also: Security agents foil bandit attack on Niger community

“The bandits initially demanded that we pay them N10m and buy them 100 android phones and five Bajaj motorcycles. But we were not able to raise that amount.

“We were able to contribute N5m, bought the five Bajaj motorcycles and the100 android phones.

“The bandits asked us to bring the phones and motorcycles to a designated spot in Madaka, Rafi Local Government Area of the state.

“After they collected the money and other items, the wives of the Madaki were released to us,” he said.

Calls and text messages to the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Wasiu Abiodun, for a confirmation on the development were not replied as at the time of this report.

By Isaac Dachen…

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