Bandits ‘kill’ one of seven persons abducted from Niger community

Bandits have reported killed one Olayinka Ogunyemi, one of the seven persons abducted from the Kuduru community near Bwari Area Council in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Confirming the development to TheCable on Saturday, a community leader said the bandits killed Ogunyemi, a civil engineer, on Friday.

On December 28, bandits invaded Kuduru village and abducted seven residents, including a one-and-a-half-year-old baby, his pregnant mother, two siblings and three men.

The community source said the bandits killed Ogunyemi after his family failed to raise the N290 million demanded as ransom.

The source said the bandits have threatened to kill the remaining captives if N230 million is not paid.

“They called us yesterday that they have killed engineer Olayinka Ogunyemi. They told us that they will kill the rest if we don’t bring N230 million,” the community leader said.

“We have already paid N23 million and sent food and other items they demanded but none of our people has been released.

“We are scared and helpless now that they will not kill the pregnant woman and her child, the two siblings and the two men.

“We are appealing to the federal government, the police and the army to step up efforts to rescue our people because their abductors said Nigeria has offended them and they would retaliate.”

Efforts to reach Wasiu Abiodun, police spokesperson in the state, for comment, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls or messages put through his mobile phone.

Also, Danladi Iyah, chairman of Tafa LGA, did not respond to calls or messages.

Azu, Garam and Kuduru communities in Tafa LGA have been experiencing attacks by bandits who operate actively in the area.