Two Kaduna District Heads remain in captivity despite the payment of a N100 million ransom by their families four months ago.
The village heads, Alhaji Sani Adamu Shekarau, District Head of Kakangi in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, and his Village Head of Kisaya, were kidnapped on Thursday, May 2, 2024. They were taken just three kilometers from their palaces while en route to a burial rite in the Sabon-Layi Community.
Similarly, Alhaji Abdullahi Usman, the District Head of Kotonkoro in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State, a border village with Birnin Gwari was abducted along with his wife and son on May 31, 2024, while inspecting his farm.
Daily Trust has learned that the two District Heads were kidnapped by a terrorist group led by Kachalla Mallam Halilu and Kachalla Gudale, which operates along the Niger, Kaduna, and Zamfara state boundaries.
Ishaq Usman Kasai, Chairman of the Birnin-Gwari-Niger Inter-boundary Community Union for Peace and Development (BGNI-CUPD), disclosed this in a statement to Daily Trust in Kaduna on Thursday.
According to him, these bandit groups specifically operate around Dogon Dawa in Kaduna, Kurigi Mai Dawa villages in Niger State, Mariga Local Government Area in Niger State, and Sangeko in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State, and they operate with a high level of impunity.
“The kidnappers have collected over N100 million as ransom from the families and still hold the victims hostage. Despite the substantial ransom paid, the victims remain trapped, with no end in sight to their ordeal. The hoodlums are now demanding an additional 15 Honda motorcycles worth over N30 million,” he said.
Kasai stated that the District Heads, who are being held in the same camp, have been in captivity for about four months and are severely ill, unable to walk or sit due to torture and being restrained to prevent escape.
He emphasized the profound suffering of the District Heads’ families, who are enduring an agonizing wait with no hope for the safe return of their loved ones.
Kasai urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to intervene and end this reign of terror.
He also called for additional security forces to be deployed in the Kaduna/Niger/Zamfara inter-boundary area to combat the notorious bands of criminals and restore peace and harmony to the affected communities.
