Kidnappers who abducted 10 persons from an estate, Sagwari Layout, Dutse, Abuja, in the Federal Capital territory (FCT) on January 7, have reportedly killed three of their victims to send a strong warning to their relatives negotiating ransom payment.
The development came even as it was gathered that the bandits have now increased their demand from the initial N60 million per person to N100 million, now totalling N700 million.
Dutse is a town under the Bwari Area Council of the FCT. Residents said the victims were allegedly killed over the ‘delay’ in raising the ransom demanded by the kidnappers. It was also gathered that a 13-year-old secondary school student, identified as Folorunsho Ariyo, was among those killed.
Only on Sunday, reports emerged that the kidnappers, who also operated in some villages in Bwari, had killed one of the six abducted persons to force the family into quickly raising the demanded ransom.
Pressed to the wall, residents of Sagwari Layout have perfected plans to stage a massive protest against the perceived inaction of the Government and security agencies in rescuing their kin.
Initially planned for yesterday, as a result of Armed Forces Remembrance Day, the protest was shifted to today, Tuesday.
Earlier, former minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, said his friend has offered to pay N50m to rescue five sisters abducted by gunmen in Abuja. He disclosed this in a statement via his X page (formerly known as Twitter) @ProfIsaPantami, yesterday.
Pantami said he is personally not in support of paying ransom to criminals but became necessary after the gun killed one of the girls, Nabeeha.
