Residents of Sagwari Layout have perfected plans to stage a massive protest against the perceived inaction of the government and security agencies in rescuing their kin.
Initially planned for Monday, the protest was shifted to Tuesday as a result of Armed Forces Remembrance Day.
This is coming after kidnappers who abducted 10 people from an estate in Sagwari Layout, Dutse, Abuja, on January 7 reportedly killed three of their victims to send a strong warning to their relatives negotiating ransom payment.
The development came even as it was gathered that the bandits have now increased their demand from the initial N60 million per person to N100 million, now totalling N700 million.
Residents said the victims were allegedly killed over the ‘delay’ in raising the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
The Nigerian Tribune had reported how a 13-year-old high school student, identified as Folorunsho Ariyo, was first killed, while two more have been killed.
Similarly, on Sunday, reports emerged that the kidnappers, who also operated in some villages in Bwari, had killed one of the six abducted persons to force the family into quickly raising the demanded ransom.
Dutse is a town under the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Meanwhile, bandits have released seven of the 23 kidnapped victims from Kawu in the Bwari Area Council of the FCT to go and raise over N20 million as ransom for the other victims.
It will be recalled that bandits last Wednesday night invaded and abducted 23 people, including four children, from Kawu.
A resident who spoke to newsmen under the condition of anonymity gave the name of one of the released victims, Alhaji Alhassan Sidi (Marafa of Kawo), whose four children were still in captivity.
Also released is Alhaji Gambo S. Fawa (Sarkin Fawa), who was freed along with his two wives as well as a young man.
The resident said, “They were released with conditions to provide over N20m along with two special motorcycles before the rest of the victims will be freed.”
A relative of one of the victims, Ibrahim Tanimu Kawu, who spoke to newsmen, said the four victims were released on Friday evening in a forest that bordered the FCT and Kaduna State.
He said, “Today at about 7 a.m., the kidnappers’ leader called through the telephone, and we heard how the children were crying as they were beating them. What is more disturbing is that two of the children are between the ages of 13 and 12.
“But the families are confused on how to raise the N20m as there is no property to sell, and even on the farmlands, nobody is coming to price them.”
Reacting to the development, the spokeswoman of the FCT Police Command, SP Adeh Josephine, said in a statement: “The NPF is actively engaging and contacting individuals crucial to the rescue operations and investigation.
The objective is not only to bring perpetrators to justice but also to intensify efforts in rescue operations for victims still in captivity.”
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