Kidnappers of 26 women from Allawa Community in Niger State released a video showing two captives pleading for the return of 130 motorcycles as ransom. Families struggle to meet the demands while community leaders criticize local officials for failing to address worsening security conditions.
The plight of 26 women abducted from Allawa Community in Niger State has taken a distressing turn, as their captors have released a video of two hostages pleading for help. In the 30-second footage, one woman, tied to a tree, calls on her family, specifically a relative named Abdulrahman, to provide 130 motorcycles demanded by the kidnappers for their release.
The families of the captives have struggled to meet the ransom demands, with some already providing six motorcycles but unable to raise the additional four required. Abba Usman, a resident, revealed that the bandits demand five motorcycles for each woman, valued at N2 million each, placing immense financial pressure on the families.
The situation has prompted public outcry, particularly from the Gbagyi socio-cultural group, Gbenu Boknu Yakwo. They have criticized Niger State’s Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brigadier General Bello Abdullahi (RTD), for his inadequate response to the escalating security crisis. The group expressed disappointment over his claims that normalcy had returned to Allawa, arguing that such statements are disconnected from the suffering of the residents, many of whom have fled their homes.
The association has called for the commissioner’s removal, urging state and federal authorities to take decisive action to combat the ongoing threat of banditry and allow displaced individuals to return to their homes and resume their farming activities. The community remains in turmoil, facing a dire need for security and support.
