Bandits, who abducted 16 residents of the Gonin Gora area of the Kaduna metropolis, have demanded a ransom of N40 trillion for their release.
Recall that some bandits had, on Wednesday, 28 February, attacked the Gonin-Gora community, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis in the Chikun Local Government Area, kidnapping 16 residents.
On Monday, however, leaders of the community said the bandits had demanded an unreasonable ransom of N40 trillion.
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The ransom demand was coming barely four days after 287 school children were abducted at Kuriga, another Chikun community.
A community leader of the area, John Yusuf, said: “The bandits have contacted us. They are demanding N40 trillion, 11 Hilux vans, and 150 motorcycles for the release of 16 people they are holding captive.
The Nation Newspaper quoted him as saying, “Where are we going to get this kind of money? Even if we sell the entire community, we cannot raise N40 trillion. Even Nigeria as a country has never made a budget of N40 trillion.”
He said the bandits invaded the community two times within a week. “The abductions happened twice within four days interval,” he said.
He said, “During the first attack, three people were kidnapped, while in the second attack, 13 people were abducted bringing the total number of people being held captive to 16.”
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He lamented the vast bushes bordering the community and the Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the state and called for the establishment of a military base in the area to check the activities of the criminals.
“We are pleading with the government to come to our aid by establishing a military base behind our community where the bandits take advantage of the bushes to invade our community.
“From our community down to Birnin Gwari, which is over 150 kilometres, is a stretch of the bush.
“We also have another stretch of bushes from Gonin Gora down to Niger State.
“So, when the criminals have free access through the bushes to our community. We are pleading with the government to help us,” the community leader pleaded.
