KIDNAP FOR RANSOMS: THE SORDID TALES OF THE VICTIMS

KIDNAP FOR RANSOMS: THE SORDID TALES OF THE VICTIMS

In the last two decades of the millennium, the north has been ravaged by serious security challenges ranging from insurgency by Boko-haram terrorist group, farmers/ herders’ clashes, banditry and kidnapping among other violent crimes that caused socioeconomic dislocation and peaceful atmosphere of the region. It will take decades of reconstruction and recovery for the north to return to itself from the damage these series of crises have caused.

The worst of these is the alarming rate of kidnapping for ransom that is taking place in this geographical area. At home, at gathering or on transit, no where is safe from this prevalence and heinous crime. The epidemic of abductions and ransom payments has not only devastated the lives of victims and their families but also crippled the economy of the entire north especially the northwest and north central to some extent. Furthermore, it exacerbated the economic hardships, fear, distress and discomfort to average Nigerians. Many people could no longer travel to visit their families and loved ones, simply for the fear of unknown. For the fear of abduction, farming which is the main source of income by the majority of the populace has been abandoned by many. This has rendered many people jobless and caused serious food insecurity to the entire country. As I am writing this piece, my blood brother is in the clutch of these unscrupulous. He was kidnapped on his way to Katsina from Zamfara. On approaching village called Kucheri situated along Gusau-Funtua road, the marauding group ambushed him and surrounded his car. He had no option than to come out and surrender himself; the mad people have requested the ransom of N50million for his release.

The phenomenon of banditry and kidnapping causes tens of thousands of deaths, the brutal displacement of hundreds of thousands vulnerable citizens from their ancestral homes, and extraordinary levels of suffering. The outrageous amount of money generated by criminal groups through this illicit business is humungous and mind-blow. For instance, a recent report revealed that no fewer than 7,568 people were abducted in 1,130 kidnap attempts around Nigeria from July 2023 to June 2024, and at least ?1.048 billion was paid as ransoms in that period.

The report of the committee of experts commissioned by Zamfara state government in 2019 to come up with findings on the root causes of banditry and recommendations to mitigate the menace, highlighted the outrageous statistics on the quantum of atrocities caused by banditry in the state. The report revealed that about 319 persons arbitrarily and willfully killed; 3,672 kidnapped; N2, 805,049,748 paid as ransom; 6,483 widows and 25,050 orphans left behind by slain victims; 215,241 cows, 141,404 sheep, 20,600 of other animals (such as camels and donkeys) rustled; and 3,587 houses, 1,487 motor vehicles and motor cycles burnt. In term of strength and number, the report stated that bandits operated about 105 camps in the state from which they launched deadly attacks on Zamfara, kill and steal the people’s properties at will; their leaders identified. The information revealed was even an old report as the assessment made by the committee which was inaugurated in 2019 covered the periods from 2019 down to 2011. It didn’t cover the apex period of banditry and kidnapping in the entire northwestern Nigeria, thus from 2020 upwards. Another report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime stated that, there are over 30,000 number of bandits operating in north west particularly in states like Kaduna, Katsina, Niger and Zamfara, and bout one-third (1/3) of these numbers are located in Zamfara where the whole phenomenon originated and extended to neighboring states.

LIFE IN THE BANDITS’ ENCLAVES:

The unbearable condition of life in the bandits’ enclaves is another sordid story to reckon with. This piece of writing intends to deviate a little from the traditional reporting of banditry and kidnapping activities in the north, as lot has been said on the matter. Rather, the focus will be on the life and condition of hostages in the bandits’ hideouts. The kind of trauma and pains from physical injuries the victims of kidnapping are going through when they are abducted by these marauding criminals is very despicable. Even after being released, many of the victims have to go through certain rehabilitation. They have to go through medical check up, psychotherapy and physical health treatment due to the trauma they went through. For instance, during the rainy season, all the rain ended on their heads, no shade to cover their heads, or mats to sit or sleep, they sit and sleep on the ground, with fear of being bite by reptiles like snakes, scorpions or other poisonous insects. They trek bare footed, assembled under trees and chained with one another so that they do not run. In fact, life in the bandits’ dens is unbearable and as worst as life in the hands of slave masters during slaves’ trade.

My engagement with many victims of kidnapping avails me with heartrending information on the kind of conditions they go through in the hands of these insensible and illiterates’ group of people. The narrative reminds me with one of my undergraduate courses “the Black in the Diaspora”. The course was about the deplorable condition of black slaves gone through from their masters. Once slaves leave their communities and marched to the coast, often enduring long journeys of weeks or even months through long distance voyages, either via the trans-Saharan routes transported across the Sahara Desert; or through the transatlantic route, their identity as humans has totally changed to that of Animals. This is almost same with victims of these merciless groups, as victims are abducted sometimes by attacking villages and communities, or on transits, and marched to the bush often enduring long hours of trekking and sometimes conveyed on motorcycles to their enclaves and hideouts;

§? On reaching the hideouts, victims have entered another circle of hardship. First of all, they would be chained so that not to run or escape. They go through all sorts of punishment from flogging, whipping, shackling, hanging, beating, burning, raping, and imprisonment in an unhealthy environment.

§? Victims are being mercilessly beaten in response to disobedience or to instil fear on them and their relations who are negotiating for their release, so as to agree with terms and price tagged on them.

§? Sometimes there is no barrier between women whether pregnant or not. Information revealed that there are instances where bandits kidnapped pregnant women or women carrying between one to five months old babies. Several pregnant women were reported to have deliver babies in bandits' enclaves.

§? In bandits’ camps, captives live in hunger and thirst. According to a victim, they eat once or twice, and sometimes even the food given would not be enough not to talk of its quality. It is usually garri, Kuli-kuli, sweet potato or bread without sugar. No enough water to drink, sometime it is even a contaminated water they are given to drink.

§? Many victims return home with lot of ailments. Some as a result of being tied up with chains or ropes their hands would be amputated. There was a victim whose husband was killed in her presence; she was asked to dig a hole to bury him. She has been repeatedly raped by multiple people, and as a result she was infected with the killer disease (Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV Aids).

INDIVIDUAL ENCOUNTERS:

Narrating his sordid experience, a cousin of mine conveying 30million naira as ransom for the release of another cousin, he and a friend had to travel tens of kilometers to convey the said amount in a deep-rooted bush. He started his journey from Gusau where the money was sourced from bank and conveyed same to Mada village under the direction of these bandits. On reaching Mada, they were told to pass the village and cross over a seasonal river, there they find themselves in some hilly and mountainous land. On reaching these mountainous planes, they were told to stop. Within some seconds they were rounded up by about 10-15 young men, all of them within the age brackets of 20 years and all of them were carrying guns. My cousin and friend were asked about the money? they pointed at the trunk of the car. The boot was opened and brought out bags containing #30million cash. Within some few seconds or minute another group of young men riding motorcycles rushed into the premises and loaded the money and moved into the bush.

My cousin and friend were told to return to Mada village and wait for the release of their victim. They returned and waited from afternoon until sunset but all in vain, these cruel people failed to stood to their words. On that node, some members of vigilantes, Zamfara State Community Protection Guards, CPG cautioned them on the danger of the road between Mada and Gusau, hence they were advised to leave. The vigilantes promised to convey the victim to Gusau once he is released by the group. Unfortunately, the kidnappers didn’t call or release the victim despite the payment of 30m until after a week. They called and demanded for additional 70m to make it 100m. To cut the story short, the family had to employ the service of another bandit’s cartel through a third party somewhere in Jibiya, Katsina state, who on behalf of the victim’s relatives met with the group to secure the release of the victim after the payment of additional #20m.

One thing to note is that, these bandits have quite number of informants, collaborators and associates embedded within the community, living in our midst while feeding bandits with information and intelligence. For instance, it was revealed, the heartless scoundrels that abducted my victim cousin and handed him over to their collaborators in the bush are people he knew; they used to visit him at home and office and he helped them on several occasions. Thank God at the end of the day they were all apprehended and some of them have been eliminated by vigilantes.

Many communities in Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara and Sokoto have lamented that the bandits frequently attack them to kidnap people whenever they needed. Our communities are completely insecure. During the rainy season, these bandits go community by community and extort millions of naira from communities for them to have access to their farms. It was reported that recently Bello Turji, a warlord that operates around Sokoto/Zamfara axis of Isah, Shinkafi and Zurmi has placed levies amounting to #50m to the people of Moriki, a district of Zurmi Local government area. The community had to tax themselves so as to be allowed to go to their farms. Last year the same Turji taxed them #20m. All these are happening as if there is no constitutional authority in the land.

THE PRICE TAGS:

The mode or pattern of abduction determines the price tags for a victim. According to a source, when these non state actors kidnapped victims, they sarcastically asked the victim to state the amount he can pay for his release. It is better for a victim to be abducted along the road than to be abducted at home. This is because at home they know who the victim is, they can guess his net worth either based on his house or through the informants whom they work with. If victims are abducted along the road especially on commercial vehicles depending on their outlook but majorly they are termed as normal commuters or commoners, they usually fix ransoms of reasonable amount, let’s say between the range #2m to #5m on each of the victim. Furthermore, the price of commuters abducted on commercial vehicles is cheaper than those arrested in their personal cars who are regarded as high-profile individuals. The price of hostages abducted on their personal cars may range between #10m and #20m upwards, depending on the types of vehicle they are driving and the power of negotiation the relatives of the victims may possess.

Recently these groups visited Sabongari community of Kaura Namoda in Zamfara state and ransacked different households, unfortunately they abducted a family of a friend who happens to be a public servant in one of the federal agencies, so technically to them this is a big catch. The humongous price they quoted for the release of the family was very crazy and hilarious. According to a source they placed about #200m as ransom for the family, this is crazy.

Abducting a victim with a smartphone is another jeopardy. There was a victim abducted with his smartphone, while asking their businesses by these criminals, he responded that he is a petty trader. But while scrolling his phone’s photos and videos they came across some of his pictures which shows the kind of lifestyle he is living didn’t commensurate with what he told them. I don’t have to tell you the end of the story because while the price tags of other abductees were between 2 to 5million, his own was jacked to 20million. A victim who happened to be a friend of mine, in fact, on that fateful day I was the one that drove him to one of the stations in Abuja to charter a vehicle to Zamfara for a two-day visit to his family. Narrating his sordid story informed me that, on approaching Kucheri, a village between Katsina-Zamfara a group of bandits blocked the road and shot at their vehicle’s Tyre and immediately rounded them. Fortunately for him before they arrive and round up the vehicle, he threw out his smart phone and identity card into the bush. Even as at that his family and friends had to raised #3million naira and a brand Honda motorcycle for them to release him after spending three good weeks with them. He came out with lot of bruises. He informed me the way and manner they were tied with chains and padlock, no space to even move their legs or hands. In the night if they make long move, these criminals will come and bit them uncontrollably sometimes with head of gun. There was a victim that lost his hand as a result of chain or rope tied over his hands. After several days in that condition and after being released his hand was rotten and had to be chopped off.

Unfortunately, with all these atrocities, the northern leaders and politicians allow all these to be happening in their midst. Just few months ago when the mother of a prominent singer was abducted it was said about #300m was paid as ransom to these criminals for her release. Are we not indirectly fuelling this illegal enterprise called banditry and kidnapping? Because, all these ransom payments will not in any way solve the menace, it only temporarily ameliorates it. Credible information revealed that, apart from psychotropic substances purchase for their consumption which will ginger them to perpetrate the act, bulk of the funds generated by bandits are being tailored towards procurement of arms and ammunition. This has increased the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the north. The more we pay ransom to them the more they stockpile weapons, the more dangerous/ sophisticated they become and the more vulnerable the north is becoming. But I don’t blame the citizens for raising funds to free their love ones, since they are handicapped and government have failed to help them. The heinous activities of these wicked people made thousands of children orphans and many households to become internally displaced in the north, particularly in states like Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto and Kebbi.

The above is just a tip of an iceberg on the precarious and shaky situation our people are in yet, the stakeholders particularly the government and other politicians within the region kept silent as if everything is normal. The northern governors need to acknowledge the challenge and predicament the north is facing, and at the same time should face the challenge head on. Though it is a Nigerian Delema, yet it is squarely the northern quagmire. It is therefore a high time for the governors and other relevant stakeholders to come up with an overarching strategy to pin-down the menaces of banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes militating the progress of the north and its people.

To this end, there is a need for the responsible government agency to completely and without delay expunge and deactivate all unregistered telephone SIM cards. It is very disheartening the way bandits use telephone numbers to call families of victims, communicate and demand money for the release of hostages, yet these criminals could not be traced or apprehended. Currently according to the Nigerian Communication Commission, NCC there are still over 12m unregistered numbers working freely. This is good news when compared to where we were before but, as a matter of urgency, NCC needs to delete any number that is not registered or linked to NIMC (National Identity Management Commission) database. Other security agencies should also step up to their tasks by apprehending these scoundrels and unscrupulous elements within our midst, and the stubborn ones should be eliminated.

God bless Nigeria,

Sanusi Moyi, a concerned citizen.