Update: Niger kidnap: 2 wives of community head regain freedom

The two wives kidnapped alongside their husband, a Chief in Zungeru community of Niger, have been freed after payment of N6,740,000 ransom.

The husband, Malam Al-Mustapha Abdullahi, is still with the kidnappers who demanded for extra N95 million to free him.

The Village Head of Zungeru, Alhaji Aliyu Tanko, made this known during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Zungeru.

Tanko said that Abdullahi was kidnapped alongside his two wives around 1:40 a.m. on June 6.

“There was a deception along the line because the kidnappers agreed for ransom of N5 million but when our people got there to give them the agreed sum they changed their mind.

“They said that we should purchase three special motorcycles of N580,000 each in addition to the N5 million cash and we did. They ended up releasing only the two wives of the Madaki (Abdullahi),” he said.

Tanko said that the two women were set free around Kagara forest and given N200 each by their abductor for their transportation to Zungeru.

NAN had reported about the kidnap of the community head on Monday and its request for assistance from the Victim Support Fund.

The Village Head said that the victims have since been taken to hospital for medical care.

He said that when the kidnappers contacted the family after the release of the two wives, they demanded for another N95 million to secure the release of the Chief.

Tanko explained that the kidnappers threatened that failure to produce the balance Abdullahi would be taken to their Headquarters in Zamfara forest.

“Right now, we don’t know the next thing to do, we are at the mercy of Allah (God). Whatever they want to do let them go and do. What we know is that one day all of us must die and give account to Allah (God).”

NAN recalls that during an interview on June 14 Tanko had said that the suspected kidnappers demanded for N100 million to free their victims but the community pleaded with them to reduce it.

He had also appealed for financial assistance to secure the release of the three persons kidnapped.

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