Terrorists who abducted Zamfara wedding guests demand N145m

Terrorists who abducted over 40 members of GSM Communication Operators Union along the Sokoto-Zamfara Expressway on their way from a wedding on Saturday have reportedly made a ransom demand of N145 million for their release.

Ripples Nigeria had reported how the terrorists ambushed two buses conveying the victims from Sokoto State where they had gone for a wedding and abducted over 40 of them.

The Zamfara State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Muhammad Shehu, who confirmed the incident in a statement, had said the victims were returning from a wedding in Tambuwal local government area of Sokoto State when they ran into an ambush mounted on the road by the bandits.

According to the State Secretary of the GSM union at the Beneji Plaza in Zamfara, Nasiru Musa, the terrorists reached out to the union and demanded the ransom at N5 million per victim.

Musa also noted that seven members of the union were rescued by members of the local vigilante group known as Yansakai on Sunday evening after their abduction.

“The kidnappers of our union members have placed a ransom demand of N145 million at N5 million per head. Our members were returning from a wedding ceremony in Sokoto State when they were abducted on Saturday evening in Dogon Awo, a community around Tureta town, bordering Sokoto and Zamfara States.

“The victims are mobile phone and accessories dealers in Bebeji plaza in Gusau, Zamfara State capital.

Read also: Bandits abduct over 40 wedding guests, traders, along Sokoto-Zamfara road

“The bandits have called many times on Monday morning to inform us of their stand regarding our members that are with them.

“They demanded five million naira for each of the 30 kidnapped victims with them, making it a total sum of 145 million naira before they can regain their freedom.

“The bandits insisted that the money must be paid collectively, warning that they will not deal with the victims individually.

“The DPO of Bakura Local Government Area called Monday morning, informing us that seven of the abducted people have been rescued by Yansakai group on Sunday evening

“We have sent a delegation to go and bring them to Gusau, the state capital so that we can reunite them with their families,” Musa said.

The Chairman of the union in Gusau Local Government Area of the state, Alhaji Mustapha Khalifa, who also spoke on the incident, has, however, appealed to the family and relations of the victims to remain calm and intensify prayers.

“We are appealing to the parents and relations of the victims to remain calm as we are also worried and disturbed over the ugly development.

“We are working with security agencies and the state government to rescue them very soon,” Khalifa said.

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