Abuja—Marauding bandits, who two weeks ago abducted 17 persons in the remote community of Tekpeshe in Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, have threatened the village head, to pay a ransom of N8 million for his son’s release without delay or he would be brought into the crime of kidnapping.
Sources said the bandits contacted the Waziri of Tekpeshe, Ibrahim Tanko, and issued the threat after the village head and his family members pleaded that they could not raise such huge amount of money as ransom.
The bandits’ leader had reportedly called the village head last week asking the family to raise another N10 million for the son to regain his freedom but the family told them that they did not know where and how to raise the money.
“He later said we should raise N8 million and after that, he switched off his phone. The bandits’ leader called again after three days, threatening that if the Waziri or his family members failed to raise the N8 million ransom, they will keep the boy in their captivity and train him to be a kidnapper,” a source said.
The Waziri disclosed that the entire community sold the farm produce they had stocked, motorcycles and a car before they could raise N5.2 million as ransom, including N75,000 worth of drugs, foodstuffs and recharge cards before the ex-councillor and 16 other people were set free.
