A devastating tragedy has struck Banga village in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, where bandits have reportedly executed 35 kidnapped residents despite receiving over ₦50 million in ransom payments.
The victims were among 53 villagers who were abducted several months ago during an armed invasion of the rural community. The bandits had initially demanded ₦1 million per hostage, amounting to ₦53 million for all captives.
According to Lawali Muhammad Banga, a resident who spoke to journalists, the village managed to raise and deliver the demanded ransom after weeks of desperate fundraising efforts. However, only 18 captives were released while the remaining 35 were brutally executed.
"All we want now is to live in peace, to feel like free citizens and not slaves under the rule of heartless terrorists who neither fear God nor believe they can ever be crushed," Lawali was quoted as saying.
Village Under Siege
The situation in Banga village has deteriorated to alarming levels, with Lawali revealing that the community has effectively fallen under the control of the armed group. Surrounding settlements have been abandoned as residents flee from recurring attacks that include killings, kidnappings, and sexual violence against those who resist the bandits' dominance.
The released hostages described a horrifying sequence of events where their fellow captives were executed one by one in cold blood while still in captivity, sending shockwaves through the already traumatized community.
Lawali has made an urgent plea to both the Federal and Zamfara State governments to intervene immediately and restore security to the area, which has become a hotspot for bandit activities in recent years.
This incident adds to the growing list of atrocities committed by bandits in Nigeria's northwestern region, where kidnapping for ransom has become a lucrative criminal enterprise, often with devastating consequences for communities caught in the violence.
The Zamfara State government has yet to issue an official statement regarding this latest tragedy as of the time of reporting.
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