Community leader: Bandits demanding N500m to free seven abducted residents in Niger village

Bandits have reportedly requested N500 million as ransom for the release of seven persons abducted from the Kuduru community in Tafa LGA of Niger state.

TheCable understands the bandits had initially demanded N300 million but increased the amount to N500 million after the family members failed to raise the money.

Not less than 25 persons were abducted when bandits launched attacks on Kuduru, Garam, and Azu villages in the state on December 24, 28 and 29, 2023.

A community leader who spoke with TheCable said the bandits are demanding payment of N500 million to release the seven persons abducted on December 28 from Kuduru.

He said the community members could only raise N4 million which was rejected by the bandits.

“In the beginning, they (bandits) asked us to pay N300 million for all those abducted but we told them all we could come up with was N4 million and they told us the money was not even enough to feed their chicken,” the community leader said.

“We were later able to raise N5 million but they said the amount was more than the money they paid to those who came to deliver the information to us.

“When they (bandits) called four days ago, they said we are playing with them and increased the ransom to N500 million.”

AGAIN, BANDITS ATTACK GARAM VILLAGE

On Monday, bandits in a large number stormed Garam, a border community between Niger state and the federal capital territory (FCT).

A source told TheCable that 15 persons were kidnapped from the community during the attack.

According to the source, children were among those abducted while about three of them escaped on the road.

When contacted, Danladi Iyah, chairman of Tafa LGA, said he would get back to the reporter on the incident.

All efforts to get a comment from the chairman were unsuccessful as he did not respond to follow-up calls and messages.

Also, Wasiu Abiodun, a police spokesperson in Niger, promised to verify the information and get back.

Abiodun was yet to reach out at the time of filing this report.