Abductors of 28 travellers in Plateau State have reportedly given the families of their victims a 24-hour deadline to pay a ransom of N1.5 million per person or risk their loved ones being killed.
The victims — including men, women, and children — were abducted on Sunday, December 21, at Zak community in the Bashar district of Wase Local Government Area while travelling to attend a Maulud Nabbiy event.
According to some relatives of the kidnapped persons, the abductors later contacted them and demanded the payment of N1.5 million for each captive before they would be released.
One of the affected family members, who earlier raised the alarm, said they pleaded with the kidnappers and explained that they were poor farmers who could not afford the amount, but the gang insisted that the ransom must be paid.
One week after the abduction, the kidnappers reportedly reinforced their demand and warned that the ransom must be paid within 24 hours or the victims would be executed.
Another relative, Ibrahim Musa, who spoke on the fresh threat, revealed that the kidnappers became angry after the Chairman of Wase Local Government Area, Muhammed Hamisu, instructed security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the abductees.
Following the directive, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Alfred Alabo, confirmed that a combined team of soldiers and police officers had been deployed to the area, while helicopters were also sent to search for the victims and track down the kidnappers.
Musa said the deployment of security personnel and helicopters appeared to have provoked the abductors, who have now vowed to kill the captives if the ransom is not paid within the deadline.
“After the kidnappers stopped calling for a few days, they called again on Sunday and said they had seen helicopters flying in the bush and searching for the victims,” Musa told newsmen.
“They told us they will kill our relatives if the ransom is not paid within 24 hours. At the moment, we don’t know what to do.
“We are pleading with the government to come to our aid as we are poor people and cannot possibly raise such an amount within the period they have given us,” Musa pleaded.
