We Can’t Raise N14m Ransom, Families Of 14 Abducted Victims In Kaduna Cry Out

Families of 14 people abducted from the Janjala community in the Kagarko LGA of Kaduna State, including a vigilante member and his wife, have appealed to the government for help.

The victims have been in captivity for nearly a month and their families, have only been able to raise N3 million out of the N14 million demanded by their captors.

A source acting as an intermediary between the bandits and the families disclosed this to our reporter via telephone on Saturday.

He noted that since the abduction on March 11, 2026, the families have been in disarray, struggling to raise the N1 million demanded for each victim to secure their release.

The source noted that despite providing the bandits with food supplies and N500,000 in cash as previously demanded, the kidnappers insisted on an additional N1 million per person.

According to the intermediary, the bandit leader called on Friday evening to check if the ransom was ready. “I told him that only N3 million had been raised so far. In fact, he didn’t even allow me to explain how the money was raised before he cut off the call,” the source said.

He further explained that some families had sold their farm produce and property to raise N3m.

A community leader, who requested anonymity for security reasons, confirmed the development, appealing to security operatives to intervene and rescue the victims.

A security source from the area, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was not aware of the specific ransom demand but assured that operatives are combing the forests to locate the bandits’ hideout.

The spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Hassan Mansur, had yet to react to the development at the time of filing this report.(Daily trust)