Bandits order residents to raise fund for release of abductees

Bandits have tasked residents of Gatawa, in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State to launch appeal fund within the community to secure release of the abducted residents of the said community.

Penpushing reports that, the bandits gave the order in a message sent to the community demanding the sum of N500,000 as ransom after abducting five residents when they attacked the community on Wednesday.

The source said following this directive from the bandits, the community has tasked every household to raise N2, 500 as at the time of filing this report, but the challenge is whether what they would realize would meet up the demand of the bandits.

Penpushing further reports that, the source disclosed that the bandits stormed the community at about 8am, when people were coming out of their houses and started shooting sporadically,thereafter gathered number of people.

The bandits having held the victims, hostage conducted a census, and thereafter released women among them, but took away five men, and later sent a message to the community demanding N500, 00

“They came in the early morning around 8 a.m. when most people were just coming out of their houses. They shot severally into the air before they started taking people hostage. When they gathered a number of people, they decided to let all the women go but went away with five men. After they left, they sent a message that we should gather N500,000 as ransom,” the source said.

Penpushing also reports that, this development came barely a month after  the bandits collected N11 million as ransom for the release of 20 people they  earlier kidnapped in the community, as source said the recent operations showed that the bandits were not ready to kill but only interested in raising funds.

“The bandits have directed the people of Gatawa between today (Thursday) and Monday to bring the ransom. Every household has been taxed N2,500 but the money may not be enough so they are now reaching out to people from the town who reside elsewhere so they can realise the money on time’

Penpushing reports that, Sokoto State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Sanusi Abubakar was yet to react or make any official statement on the ugly development as at the time of filing this report

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