In a heartbreaking betrayal of trust, heavily armed bandits slaughtered 35 captives from Banga village in Kaura‑Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, even after receiving N50 million in ransom.
Only 18 of the original 56 abducted have been released so far, and those survivors are now under medical care .
The kidnapping occurred months ago when gunmen stormed the community and abducted at least 56 residents.
According to local officials, residents managed to raise N1 million per hostage collectively, delivering the full N50 million demanded, yet only 18 captives were returned.
The bandits apparently executed the remaining 38 people while they were still held captive .
Survivors recount being spared only after ransom payment, while others were methodically killed during captivity, an act that has devastated Banga.
Local leaders, grieving relatives, and community members now demand immediate and intensified security operations in Zamfara State to halt further atrocities and rescue those still missing .
This incident is part of a grim escalation in violence across Nigeria’s northwest. Recent reports indicate that between July 2023 and June 2024 alone, more than 7,500 people were abducted, ransoms totaling over N1 billion paid, and over 1,000 fatalities resulting from kidnappings in the region .
Another source revealed a nationwide kidnapping surge in 2024, with a 139% jump in abduction incidents, 11,692 deaths, and ransom payments reaching the trillions of naira .
The surge is driven by the entrenched Nigerian bandit conflict, a lethal mix of poverty, weak governance, herder-farmer clashes, and widespread availability of illegal arms.
Armed gangs operate with impunity across forested, under-policed zones in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, and Niger States.
While military operations have occasionally disrupted bandit hideouts, and even rescued some hostages, critics argue these actions are insufficient and often reactive rather than proactive.
Some successes have been reported: reportedly over 7,000 hostages were rescued in 2024 amid intense operations by the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Still, the sheer scale of ransom payments and ongoing mass abductions suggest much more must be done .
