Mother gives birth in captivity, dies alongside her newborn, two daughters and others as bandits demand ₦300m and 23 motorcycles

• Eight of 11 residents abducted from Awon community in Kaduna reportedly died in captivity.

• Joy Samuel died after giving birth in the bandits’ camp, where her newborn and two daughters also died.

• The abductors initially demanded ₦300 million and 23 motorcycles for the captives’ release.

• Two abductees reportedly remain in captivity after one person escaped.

A mother who gave birth while being held by bandits in Kaduna State has reportedly died alongside her newborn baby and two daughters, in a heartbreaking case that has left eight abducted residents dead after six months in captivity.

The victims were among 11 residents kidnapped when armed men invaded Awon community in Kachia Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna on April 20, 2026.

The abductors initially demanded ₦300 million and 23 motorcycles for the victims’ release. They reportedly rejected an offer of several million naira from the rural community and threatened to deny the captives food until their demands were met.

Joy Samuel was among those abducted with her children. She reportedly died on August 28 after giving birth in the bandits’ camp. Her newborn baby also died.

Her 14-year-old daughter, who had been kidnapped alongside her, later reportedly died after becoming critically ill. Her three-year-old daughter, Silvia Samuel, has now also been reported dead.

The deaths were disclosed by journalist Reuben Buhari in a social media post on Thursday, October 22, 2026. According to reports quoting his account, the bandit leader known as Yellow One Million allegedly confirmed the deaths to a woman who recently escaped from captivity.

Two other victims, 34-year-old Yusuf Bawa and his five-year-old son, also reportedly died from illness and severe hunger while being held by the abductors.

The reported deaths bring the number of victims who have died in captivity to eight out of the 11 people abducted from Awon. One person reportedly escaped, leaving two others still in captivity.

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The ransom demand has reportedly since been reduced to ₦9 million and four motorcycles for the release of the remaining captives. Their abductors were said to have acknowledged that the captives were in extremely poor condition because of illness and starvation.

The case has drawn renewed attention to the plight of families in rural communities who face prolonged captivity and ransom demands after abductions.

However, the reported deaths had not been publicly confirmed by authorities at the time of publication. The circumstances surrounding the deaths and the condition of the two remaining captives also remained unclear.