From Ankeli Emmanuel, Sokoto
After spending about 47 days in captivity, the Chacho village abducted bride-to-be, and her friends have finally regained their freedom, local sources confirmed.
However, the freedom came at a cost as relatives of the abductees paid N10 million ransom, in addition to three brand new motorcycles.
Prior to the abduction, Chacho village in Wurno local government was in high spirit as preparations for the wedding reached crescendo. But tragedy struck on the eve of the wedding. 24 hours before the scheduled wedding, terrorists invaded the village, went straight to the bride’s house to whisk her and her friends away.
A heartbroken member of the family who spoke on condition of anonimosity, said they had intelligence that the abducted were held captive at one of the terrorists’ enclaves in the Sububu forest of Isa/Sabon Birni local government areas of Sokoto State. However, they could not do anything since they were unarmed.
The forest, which stretched to Niger Republic and Zamfara State in Nigeria, is considered a haven for criminal elements, especially, those terrorizing Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
Speaking aftermath of the release, one of the victims’ relatives said they were receiving medical attention in a hospital which he refused to disclose for security reasons.
He added that the abducted were held for long because the villagers could not raise the ransom on time.
“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 seven weeks to negotiate and also meet up with the ransom requirement which is N10 million cash, 3 motorcycles with each costing around one million, eight hundred thousand naira and food items,” he said.
Another resident who spoke on the development but pleaded anonymity, appealed to the Federal Government to equip security agencies with modern technology to be able to locate the terrorists in the forest.
He also insisted on application of severe kinetic approach on the terrorists.
Effort to speak with Wurno local government council chairman, Aba Sadiq Isa Achida, on the development proved abortive as he neither picked his calls not respond to text message sent to his mobile line before filing this report.
On his part, the Public Relations Officer of Sokoto Police Command, DSP Ahmed Rufai, said the police were yet to receive details of the development, promising however to reach out to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area and revert to The Dream Daily Newspaper.
Leave a Reply