Armed bandits, who abducted women accompanying a newly-wed bride to her matrimonial home at Damari, Sabuwa LGA of Katsina State, have issued threats to remarry the bride and sell off the other women.
Recall that the audacious bandits carried out the abduction last Thursday, targeting the bride and her companions while travelling in an open van in the Sabuwa area.
During the unfortunate attack, the gunmen killed at least four members of a vigilante group.
Villagers report that at least 55 wedding guests were abducted during the attack, and they have been held hostage since then.
In a video, the bandits flaunt their captives, including women dressed in military attire with AK-47 rifles hung around their necks.
The leader taunted the government, threatening to forcibly marry the already-married bride unless the ransom was paid.
The bandits also vow to sell off the hostages if their demands are not met.“I am the one who abducted them, and I will never release them until ransom is paid. And if there is anyone who thinks they could rescue them, they should try it,” he said.
Family members of the abducted victims confirmed the ransom demand, expressing their inability to provide such a substantial amount.
Haruna Abdullahi, an uncle of the bride, told Daily Trust: “They are asking for N100 million as ransom. None of us has ever seen that amount of money, so I told them directly that we don’t have such funds.”
Among those kidnapped are eight sisters and nine daughters of one family, along with several other relatives.
The bandits claim they shot the video as a challenge to Governor Dikko Umar Radda, who had reportedly vowed to rescue the victims.
