Bandits Demand N10m for Abducted District Head, Wives

Laleye Dipo in Minna

Bandits who abducted the District Head of Zungeru and two of his wives in Wushishi local government of Niger State last week have demanded for a ransom of N10m before they will be released.

Alhaji Alamu Madaki along with Hajia Aisha Alamu Madaki 35 years, and Habiba Alamu Madaki 38 years wives of the traditional ruler were kidnapped in the early hours of Sunday last week from the palace in Zungeru town.

THISDAY learnt that after holding the monarch and his wives for six days, the bandits reached out to a family member during which they demanded for the N10m ransom.

The family member who is also the village head of Zungeru, Alhaji Tanko Madaki said the family contributed and offered the bandits N4.5m which they rejected saying that they (bandits) insisted on N10m.

“They threatened to take the district head to the Zamfara forests,” Madaki said adding that if they did that they would also increase the ransom to N20m.

He pleaded with public spirited individuals to come to the assistance of the family to avert the problem.

Madaki said no government official had intervened in the problem they were facing apart from the Wushishi local government chairman “who is a family member.”

The traditional ruler said the bandits in their various conversations were very uncompromising and said a lot of terrible things about the district head and his wives in their custody.

THISDAY gathered that all the family members were now said to be moving between Zungeru and Minna on daily basis.

“They leave in the evening and return in the early hours of the next day,” a reliable source told THISDAY saying the action was because of fears that the bandits could again visit the palace to kidnap more people.

It will be recalled that in the early hours of last Sunday the district head and his wives were abducted from the palace in Zungeru.

The district head was said to be driving home when at the entrance to the palace he was accosted by the gun wielding bandits who forced him into the palace from where they picked him up with his two wives before driving them to unknown destination.