Bandits Keep 13 Kaduna Hostages Despite N40m Ransom Payment — Community Leader

Residents of Gidan Waya in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State have accused bandits of refusing to release 13 villagers abducted despite the payment of a ₦40 million ransom, leaving the community in hunger and despair.

The Chairman of the Gidan Waya Elders Forum, Mallam Rabo Sambo, made the disclosure on Monday during a press conference in Kaduna.

Sambo said the villagers were kidnapped during a violent night raid on November 11, 2025, when armed men attacked the community between 11 p.m. and midnight, firing gunshots and throwing residents into panic.

“We heard gunshots, and before we knew it, the bandits had surrounded the settlement,” Sambo said. “Our community is a closed settlement, so they easily ambushed us.” He added that four residents were killed and five others were injured and taken to medical facilities for treatment.

Thirteen villagers—five men and eight women—were taken to an unknown location, he said.

“This is the first time we are experiencing such an attack. We have always lived in peace here, and there has never been any crisis among us,” Sambo noted, adding that the attackers wore masks, making identification impossible.

The kidnappers later contacted the community in January 2026, demanding a ransom of ₦40 million for the release of the abducted villagers.

“To raise the ransom, we sold over 3,000 bags of maize. When the trailers came to load the maize, everyone in the community was crying,” Sambo said, explaining that the maize was the community’s main food reserve meant to sustain families for months.

“After selling our food to pay the ransom, we are now going hungry. We can no longer feed our families,” he added.

Sambo said the ransom was delivered immediately, with the expectation that the villagers would be released without delay. “As soon as we got the money, it was taken straight to the kidnappers,” he said.

However, he lamented that weeks after the payment, none of the abductees had been freed.

“It has been more than two months since they were taken. Even today, none of them has returned,” he said, explaining that the elders went public because they were unsure whether the Kaduna State Government or the Lere Local Government Council had been fully informed.

“We don’t know if Governor Uba Sani is aware of what happened to us. That is why we are appealing through the media,” Sambo said.

While acknowledging the efforts of the Divisional Police Officer in Lere, who has visited the community several times, Sambo appealed to state and federal authorities for urgent intervention to secure the release of the abductees and provide food assistance.

“Our people are still in captivity, and those at home are suffering. Everyone shed tears. We are living in fear, hunger, and uncertainty,” he said.

His revelation comes shortly after over 160 worshippers were abducted in a separate incident in Kaduna.