Bandits free Kaduna hostages after receiving rice and palm oil as ransom

A group of bandits in the Birnin-Gwari area of Kaduna State, on Thursday, September 29, 2022, set free six hostages.

The bandits gave freedom to the hostages after collecting 20 mudu (measures) of rice, 20 mudu of beans, 25 litres of red oil, 25 litres of groundnut oil and a recharge card of N10,000 as ransom.

Prior to the release of the six hostages, four people, who were abducted on Sunday, September 25, at Unguwan Liman area of Kaduna, were also freed by the bandits, who also let go of one other person abducted at Unguwan Shekarau, after the payments of N2 million and N500,000, respectively.

Meanwhile, in a statement addressed to members of the public, Ishaq Usman Kasai, the Chairman of Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), disclosed that the bandits have asked the farming communities to pay 12 million in levies before they would be allowed to harvest their crops.

“The bandits informed some farming communities including Kwaga, Kwanan-Shehu, Unguwan Liman and Unguwan Shekarau to pay levies of N12 million to be allowed to continue harvesting their crops. These communities were given until Friday (today) to meet the conditions, failing which they would kidnap any person found at a farm. The Union found that these helpless communities have started making contributions based on farm size to meet the condition and the dateline,” the statement read partly.

However, while the bandits have released some of their hostages after being paid the ransoms, they’ve killed at least six farmers in the area between Thursday, September 15, and Tuesday, September 27.