Bandits have threatened to kill three sisters, who were kidnapped in Kaduna, including a housewife, Hajiya Zainab Yusuf Mohammed, that eventually gave birth in captivity, alongside the baby if the family fails to pay N50 million ransom in two days.
The family told journalists yesterday in Kaduna, pleading with the government and Nigerians to come to their aid, as they have only been able to raise N6.5 million, which the kidnappers rejected.
The three sisters were kidnapped on July 17, 2022, in Mando, on the outskirt of Kaduna, at their family house, where they were taking care of their sick mother.
It was gathered that their mother, who could walk unaided before the abduction, has now been confined to a wheelchair due to the trauma.
Brother to the captives, Kabir Yusuf, who has been the one negotiating with the abductors, said he had begged them and even informed the captors that the family had sold everything to raise N6.5 million, but the bandits have refused to budge.
He confirmed that one of her sisters, Zainab, who was heavily pregnant at the time of the seizure, gave birth in captivity, without recourse to medical or human care for both mother and child in the thick of the forest under inclement conditions.
His words: “Since the kidnap, we have been negotiating with them. The bandits initially demanded N140 million, but we pleaded with them that we are poor people, so they reduced it to N100 million. We pleaded with them further and they later reduced it to N50 million and threatened that if we do not have the N50 million ready, we should not call them again.
“My sisters lamented to me on Sunday that they were being mistreated. They added that the bandits’ commander wants to leave the camp and may not return until after a while, so we should talk to them. But I told them that we have sold everything we have, but what we raised is not tangible and we do not have anything to sell again. They started crying and I broke down weeping too.
“Now, the disturbing development is that, on Sunday, I pleaded with them to release my sisters and the new baby and that we have only been able to raise N6.5 million. But, they started insulting me, saying if we do not bring N50 million in the next two days, they will kill my sisters and the new baby.
“We are appealing to the Federal Government, Kaduna State government, charity organisations, philanthropists and well-spirited individuals to assist us in securing their release. We do not want anything to happen to them. If anything happens to them, only God knows what effect it would have on our mother, who is now in a wheelchair because of their abduction.”