Families of 14 persons abducted from the Janjala community in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State have appealed to the government and security agencies for urgent intervention, as their loved ones remain in captivity nearly one month after the incident.
Among the victims are a local vigilante member and his wife, whose abduction has further heightened tension within the community.
NOP NIGERIA learnt that the kidnappers initially demanded ₦1m ransom per victim, bringing the total to ₦14m. However, the families have only been able to raise ₦3m despite desperate efforts.
Daily Trust quoted a source serving as an intermediary between the families and the abductors as having disclosed during a telephone conversation that since the abduction on March 11, 2026, relatives of the victims had been thrown into confusion, scrambling to meet the ransom demand.
Bandits Reject Partial Payment
According to the intermediary, the families had earlier complied with some of the kidnappers’ demands, including providing food supplies and paying ₦500,000 in cash.
Despite this, the abductors insisted on receiving the full ₦1 million per victim before any release could be considered.
Recounting his latest interaction with the bandits, the source said, “The leader of the group called on Friday evening to ask if the ransom was ready. I told him that only ₦3m had been raised so far. In fact, he didn’t even allow me to explain how the money was raised before he cut off the call.”
The intermediary further disclosed that some of the affected families had resorted to selling farm produce and personal belongings in a bid to gather the ransom.
The development, he said, has left many households financially devastated, with no clear hope of meeting the kidnappers’ demands anytime soon.
A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, confirmed the situation and called on security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims.
He said the prolonged captivity of the abductees had created fear and uncertainty in the area.
A security source in the area, who also requested anonymity, said he was not aware of the exact ransom demand but assured that efforts were ongoing to track down the kidnappers.
According to him, security operatives are currently combing nearby forests in search of the bandits’ hideout.
NOP NIGERIA understands that the spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police Command, Hassan Mansur, had yet to issue any official statement on the development as of the time of filing this report.
Affected families have, however, expressed hope that government intervention and intensified security operations will lead to the safe rescue of the victims.
