Tragedy struck Banga village in Kaura-Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State as no fewer than thirty-five kidnapped victims were gruesomely slaughtered by armed bandits for their inability to pay a N35 million ransom.
The chilling incident was disclosed on Sunday by Sani Suleiman, a resident of the village, who revealed that the attackers had initially kidnapped 53 villagers, demanding N1 million ransom per hostage.
According to Suleiman, the victims had spent several months in captivity, during which time only 18 of them managed to secure their release after meeting the ransom demands.
“The remaining 35 captives who could not raise the money were slaughtered one after the other in front of those who had paid,” Suleiman said grimly. “Those released narrated how the bandits executed the victims in cold blood.”
He added that the community now lives under constant fear as Banga village remains under the control of the armed criminals, leaving residents in a state of despair.
“We are pleading with the Zamfara State Government to urgently intervene,” Suleiman said. “If nothing is done, our people will be forced to abandon the village in search of safety elsewhere.”
When contacted for confirmation, the Special Adviser to Governor Dauda Lawal on Security Matters, Ahmed Danmanga, acknowledged awareness of the incident but said he was yet to confirm the number of people killed.
“I am aware that the bandits have killed some residents of Banga village, but I do not have the exact figure,” he said. “However, mobile police have already been deployed to the area to prevent further attacks.”
Danmanga assured that the state government is working tirelessly to curb banditry and protect lives across Zamfara. He, however, cited a shortage of personnel as a major challenge.
“We are doing everything possible, but we are constrained by an inadequate number of security operatives,” he noted.
Zamfara State, in Nigeria’s troubled northwest, has faced a wave of mass kidnappings, rural violence, and rising insecurity in recent years, with bandit groups increasingly targeting vulnerable communities for ransom.
As of the time of filing this report, the Zamfara State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the matter.
