Bandits storm homes in Nasarawa State, demand millions of naira

Residents of Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, are living in fear as kidnappers continue to terrorise communities, storming homes and demanding millions of naira in ransom.

One recent victim, who spoke to our correspondent under strict anonymity, narrated his harrowing ordeal, describing how he was abducted at gunpoint just outside his home and taken deep into the bush.

“I was about to enter my house when some young men ordered me to stop. At gunpoint, they picked me up around 8:50 p.m., and we trekked for more than 11 hours,” he recounted.

The victim saiad his abductors, suspected to be armed Fulani youths based on their dialect, beat him mercilessly and threatened to kill him if he involved the police. He eventually regained his freedom after his family raised millions of naira for ransom.

“I don’t know what I did wrong to deserve such agony and near-death experience. My family had to borrow money just to save my life,” he said in tears.

Another victim, who was also kidnapped within Lafia town, described the kidnappers as highly organized and informed. “They have informants and a strong network. They kept me in a place close to Doma Barracks until the ransom was paid. Nigeria is in serious trouble,” he lamented.

Residents identified Lafia North, Polytechnic and College of Agriculture areas, Shabu, Danka, Tudun Kauri, Tudun Amba, and Kwandere as current kidnapping hotspots. They called on security agencies to increase patrols, profile commercial tricycle and motorcycle operators, and dismantle kidnappers’ networks.

A resident of Shabu, Mr Justus Adelabu, attributed the surge in kidnapping to the influx of strange faces into the community. “Recently, even a police officer was kidnapped and killed in the College area,” he said.