From Maiharaji Altine
Bandits have abducted six people at Gidan-kware village of Bungudu local government area in Zamfara state and demanded the sum of N10 million for their release.
They were abducted in their village around 12 am on Sunday.
An indigene of the village Sahabi Garba said, the bandits have reached out to the families of the abducted persons and demanded the sum of N10 million ransom.
He said, “They came in the night around 11:35 and went from house to house where they abducted two females and four males”.
“Those abducted are, Ibrahim Agaji, Asma,u Jamilu, Shafa Lawali, Tukur Aliyu Muawiyah Lawali and Saifullahi Lawali”.
“When the bandits arrived our village, we called the phone number of one of the military personnel who was working around this area not knowing that he was transferred to Sokoto state”.
“We waited for two hours for the security personnel to arrive and when we did not see them, we called the security personnel working around the Federal University Gusau which is just two kilometer away from our village”.
“They came around two o’clock am when the bandits have finished their operation and returned to the forest “.
Garba explained that the entire community were currently in dilemma as they could not get the money.
He maintained that, several meetings were held by the members of the community on how to raise the N10 million as demanded by the bandits.
He stated that, the community have yet to get even N I million despite the appeal fund they raised to meet up with the bandits demand.
He called on the state government and the security personnel to come to their aid and rescue their people.
I am appealing to Governor Dauda Lawal and the security agents to please do something and rescue our people”.
“All of the abducted persons are the breadwinners of their respective families, as such, the families will encounter serious problem if they continue to be in captivity”. Concluded Garba.
Efforts to get in touch with the police public relations Officer ASP Yazid Abubakar proved abortive as his phone numbers were not reachable”.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dauda Lawal on Media and press affairs Mustafa Jafaru Kaura said the bandits were attacking the people of the state because they have been under heavy attacks by the military personnel.
According to him, the military personnel were now moving to the forest, killing the bandits in their hideouts, that was why, they (bandits) have resorted to go on rampage.
He stressed that, “The bandits are currently being eliminated by the security personnel who follow them to their camps”.
“Many of them (bandits) were killed in the airstrikes within the last one month”.
“That is why they have embarked on rampage, abducting the people and keeping them in their hideouts to serve as a shield”.
