Kaduna Bandits Demand N500m Ransom for 13 Villagers After Deadly Night Raids

Residents of Kurama Chiefdom in Kaduna State say they are facing “impossible” ransom demands after armed groups reportedly asked for N500 million to free 13 locals still held in captivity.

The hostages — among them an ECWA pastor, farmers, and community breadwinners — were seized during coordinated attacks on the villages of Gidan Yawa, Maiyamma, Jantsauni, and Maidoki. The gunmen stormed the communities around 10:30 pm roughly two weeks ago, killing three people and abducting about 30 others. Some were later released or escaped, leaving 13 still in captivity.

The Federated Kurama Association’s National Publicity Secretary, Pius Again Kaura, said the villages are overwhelmed by the scale of the demand.

“We are finished,” he said. “These are fathers, farmers, a pastor — ordinary villagers. Where will poor people find half a billion naira? Our people are helpless. We have no weapons, no soldiers, no money. We are at the mercy of these killers.”

He noted that Kurama communities, located on the outskirts of Yarkasuwa, are predominantly farming settlements that have endured years of repeated assaults. He listed previous killings and abductions, including the District Heads of Garun Kurama and Gurzan Kurama, a Catholic priest, and family members of Lere’s APC chairman, alongside dozens of farmers who were kidnapped or murdered.

Community leaders are now appealing directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani to intervene and secure the release of the remaining captives.