Bandits demand cough syrup, rice, N290m to release seven hostages

Bandits who abducted seven residents of Kuduru community in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on December 28 have demanded N290 million ransom, drugs and foodstuffs to release the hostages.

The victims, including a pregnant woman, three children and four adults, have now spent one month and four days in captivity.

A leader in the community (names withheld) said the bandits had threatened to kill two of the victims if their demands were not met on time.

He said the abductors also demanded food items, drugs, bed sheets and cardigans.

They have reached out to us to bring N290 million to secure their release or that they will kill two of them. We have a pregnant woman and three children among them.

“They asked us to bring bags of rice, packs of Indomie, cough syrups, antibiotics, bed sheets and cardigans for the bandits’ use.

They insist that the N290 million ransom must be complete for them to let our people go”, he stated.

The community leader therefore begged the Inspector General of Police IGP, Kayode Egbetokun and the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja,, to come to the rescue of the hostages.

“We know that they are trying their best but we plead with them to rescue our families like they did to the six sisters and the Ariyos.

“We understand that these people are already falling sick in captivity because of the harsh weather and the treatment there”, he said.