Sokoto State in North West Nigeria is notorious for kidnapping and banditry
Forty-seven days after they were abducted on the eve of a wedding, the bride-to-be from Chacho village in Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State and her friends have finally regained their freedom.
Local sources confirmed that the release came at a heavy price, as relatives were forced to pay a ransom of N10 million, in addition to three brand new motorcycles, to secure their freedom from captivity.
Before the abduction, Chacho village was awash with excitement as preparations for the wedding had reached a climax. However, tragedy struck barely 24 hours before the ceremony, when armed bandits stormed the community.
The attackers reportedly went straight to the bride’s residence and abducted her alongside her friends, plunging the village into mourning and fear.
A distraught family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the family had intelligence that the abducted bride and others were being held at a bandits’ enclave within the Sububu forest, spanning Isa and Sabon Birni Local Government Areas of Sokoto State.
According to him, the family was helpless despite knowing the location.
The forest, which stretches into parts of Niger Republic and Zamfara State, is widely believed to be a safe haven for criminal gangs terrorising communities across Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States.
Speaking after the victims’ release, a relative disclosed that they are currently receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital for security reasons.
He explained that negotiations dragged on for weeks due to the family’s inability to meet the bandits’ ransom demands.
> “You know, as villagers, we do not have such money either at home or in the bank. We have to sell our belongings and other valuables as well as solicit for support from concerned citizens to be able to meet the ever changing demands of the bandits.
> “It took us 7 weeks to negotiate and also meet up with the ransom requirement which is 10 million naira cash, 3 motorcycles with each costing around one million eight hundred thousand naira and other food items.”
Another resident, who also requested anonymity, appealed to the Federal Government to urgently equip security agencies with modern surveillance technology to enable them locate criminal hideouts within the forest.
He further called for a tougher military approach, insisting that dialogue with bandits and terrorists has failed.
The source said only a severe kinetic response could deter criminals who continue to unleash violence on innocent citizens, adding that negotiation would not yield lasting results.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Chairman of Wurno Local Government Council, Hon. Aba Sadiq Isa Achida, were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages sent to his phone were neither answered nor returned as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufai, said the command had yet to receive detailed information on the incident.
He, however, assured that the police would reach out to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area and provide feedback afterward.
