Forty days after suspected bandits killed the Chief Imam of Kuda-Kuda village in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, eight members of his family remain in captivity as relatives struggle to raise the N30 million ransom demanded by their abductors. The family said they could not afford even a fraction of the amount and had pleaded with the kidnappers to accept between N2 million and N6 million, but the offer was rejected. They said the abductors threatened to kill the victims before cutting off communication. “We begged them to reduce the ransom. We even offered to pay up to N6 million, but they insulted us, switched off their phones and have not contacted us again. “Even when we called, the lines no longer went through,” a relative of the slain cleric, who requested anonymity, told Daily Trust. The eight victims were abducted during a deadly attack on Kuda-Kuda village on June 23, when suspected bandits invaded the community, killing the Chief Imam, Liman Audu, and three other residents, while leaving several others with gunshot injuries. Recounting the attack, the relative said the gunmen stormed the family compound while everyone was asleep. “I was inside my room when I heard people entering the house. I flashed my torchlight and saw men wearing security uniforms. Immediately, I knew they were bandits. “They entered one of the rooms and found my younger brother’s wife carrying her baby. They removed the baby from her back, handed the child to an elderly woman and dragged the mother outside. “They later brought out other women from different rooms before forcing their way into another room by repeatedly shooting at the door. They killed three members of our family there before moving to the imam’s section of the house. “I kept hearing gunshots from that direction. It was only later that we realised they had killed the imam,” he said. According to him, the attackers also shot three children in another section of the compound before rustling the family’s livestock. He said those injured are receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Goronyo. “Two of them were shot in the hands, while another sustained gunshot wounds to the hand and chest,” he said. Another family member, a younger brother of the slain imam, confirmed that eight people were abducted during the attack and have remained in captivity for about six weeks. He identified the victims as Mallam Shehu na Barayar Zaki, Surajo, the late imam’s son; Surajo’s wife; Umma; Hawwau; Hadiza; Safina; Maryamu; and Hairatu. He said the kidnappers had insisted on N30 million despite repeated appeals from the family. “None of us has ever handled N100,000 of our own before. We don’t have the capacity to raise such an amount,” he said. He disclosed that one of the abductees was scheduled to get married this month, but the wedding plans had been thrown into uncertainty following the abduction. “We had completed almost all the wedding preparations before this tragedy happened,” he said. The family also lamented that they were struggling to care for relatives injured during the attack. “We cannot even afford their treatment. It is kind-hearted people who have been assisting us. Sometimes, we don’t even have enough food to eat,” he said. Appealing to the public for support, he said the family had exhausted all available options and now depended on the generosity of Nigerians and prayers for the safe return of the abductees. A resident of Kuda-Kuda village said community members had imposed a levy of N5,000 on every household head and N2,000 on every married woman to raise funds for the victims. He, however, said the contributions would not amount to N1 million because many residents had fled the village following repeated attacks on the community and neighbouring settlements. “Even if the kidnappers eventually agree to accept N6 million, we will still have to continue seeking donations in mosques and from members of the public because the community cannot raise the money alone,” he said. When contacted, the spokesperson of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said such cases were often not reported to the police. Daily Trust had earlier reported that suspected bandits attacked Kuda-Kuda village on June 23, killing the Chief Imam, Liman Audu, and three other residents before abducting eight members of the community.
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