Bandits threaten to kill new baby, mother, others, demand N50m

Bandits who kidnapped three sisters in Kaduna state, including a pregnant housewife that eventually gave birth in captivity, have threatened to kill the three sisters and the new baby, if the family fails to pay N50 million ransom within 48 hours.

Family of the captives told journalists in Kaduna on Monday that they have only been able to raise N6.5million, which was outrightly rejected by the bandits, while crying out to the Federal, Kaduna state government, philanthropists and good spirited Nigerians to help them rescue the four people in captivity.

It was earlier reported that the three sisters were kidnapped on July 17, 2022 at their family house in Mando, on the outskirt of Kaduna City, where they were taking care of their sick mother.

It was however gathered that, their mother, who could walk unaided before the kidnap of her three daughters, has now been confined to the wheelchair due to the trauma.

The elder brother of the kidnapped victims, Kabir Yusuf, who has been negotiating with the abductors, said he had pleaded with the abductors that the family had sold everything they had but could only raise N6.5million, but the bandits rejected the money insisting on the N50 million ransom.

He said, one of her sisters, Zainab, who was heavily pregnant when they were kidnapped, gave birth in captivity without recourse to medical or human care for both mother and child, as they were subjected to harsh whether conditions eating and drinking whatever is available in the bandits’ den in the forest.

According to Yusuf, “Since the kidnap, we have been negotiating with them. The bandits initially demanded for N140 million but we pleaded with them that we are poor people, so they reduced it to N100 we pleaded with them further and they later reduced it to N50 million and threatened that if we don’t have the N50 million ready, we should not call them again.

“My sisters lamented to me that they were being mistreated, adding that the bandits commander wanted to leave the camp and may not return until after a while, so we should talk to them. But I told them that we have sold everything we have but what we raised is not enough and we don’t have anything to sell again then they started crying and I broke down weeping too.

“Now, the disturbing development is that, on Sunday, when I spoke to the kidnappers. I pleaded with them to release my sisters and the new baby, that we have only been able to raise N6.5million. But, they started insulting me, they said if we don’t bring N50 million in the next two days, they will kill my sisters and the new baby.

“We are appealing to the Federal Government, Kaduna state government charity organisations, philanthropists and well spirited individuals to assist us in securing their release. We don’t want anything to happen to them, if anything happens to them only God knows what effect it would have on our mother, who is now on wheelchair because of their abduction and our father who is becoming affected by the trauma.”

(Blueprint)