“Bring Food First, We’ll Discuss Ransom Later”: Kidnappers Set Strange Condition for Families of Kaduna Abductees

Gloria Adesanya 05:28 - 04 March 2026

Bring Food First; We’ll Talk Ransom Later": Kaduna Kidnappers Tells Families

The Kaduna abduction crisis deepens as bandits prioritise food over ransom talks

Families of 14 abducted residents in Janjala, Kagarko LGA, Kaduna State, are facing a cruel twist. The bandits holding them have demanded food to feed the victims before they will even discuss ransom.

The attack happened Saturday night, February 8, 2026, when more than 20 armed men stormed the village. Among the abducted are Saleh Adamu, a local vigilante, his wife Fatima, and 12 other residents. One man, Shamsudeen Adamu, was shot in the stomach during the raid.

A community liaison, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the bandit leader called Monday evening from one of the victims’ phones, demanding A bag of rice, guinea corn, maize, a jerrycan of palm oil, five cartons of spaghetti, a carton of seasoning cubes, and N1 million cash. The money, the bandits said, is for “energy drinks, cigarettes, Indian hemp, and hard drugs".

“When I tried to explain that the families are struggling, he hung up immediately,” the source said. “They just want food first. They say the victims are starving.”

Security forces are scouring forests between Sabon-Kurutu and Hayin-Dam, but as of Tuesday, the Kaduna State Police had yet to respond to the latest developments.

For the families, the wait is agonising, caught between hunger, fear, and hope that their loved ones will return safely.