By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
As the ransom dropped to N50 million after negotiations, parents of the 4 children and 9 close relatives kidnapped on Kaduna- Abuja highway have suddenly results to begging, appealing to spirited Nigerians for help and support for their children and relatives to regain freedom and return home from bandits captivity.
This was contained in what could described as Save Our Soul (SOS), messages sent round to friends and well wishers in written by the parents seeking for help and support, obtained by our correspondent, Sunday in Kaduna.
The message also sent to our reporter personally for onward delivery, is titled: “Support Our Children Please. 13 of them were kidnapped along Abuja -Kaduna expressway on the Saturday 6th January 2024. They need your help to return home. Donate to: Zenith’ Bank Account no. 24068821739. Account name Ajekiigbe Moses Bukola”, respectively.
Mr. Bukola, father of four children and Nine relatives had recently confirmed that the 13 victims, who were coming from Abuja to Kaduna in a two chattered vehicles were among those abducted by the heavily armed terrorist.
Recalled that recent report had it that bandits allegedly killed one, injured others and kidnapped scores on 6th January on Kaduna-Abuja highway, but Nigeria police, Kaduna state command had on the 9th January 2024, issued a release and debunked the report that no person was kidnapped on Kaduna-Abuja highway as reported in some sections of the media.
However, the family of the four kidnap children and 9 relatives disagreed with police allegation in an extensive interview granted our correspondent, alleging that the bandits had already called on them for N200 million ransom which later dropped to N50 million.
The father Bukola who expressed shock over the various news media reports quoting the police, lamented the action, on ground that they’ve visit with a written letter to the police earlier on the incident about their 4 kidnapped children and 9 relatives.
The patents lamented that their children kidnapped by the bandits are mostly teenagers of aged between 10,12,14 and 17 years old exception of the one who is about 20 years old now.
“Four of the abducted are my children while the remaining 9 other victims are my relatives. All of them are still in the bandits custody till now. All of them were coming from Abuja at the same time in two chattered vehicles.
“They shot three persons, killed one and went away with 13 others. The ones shot are not my children, but are our relatives. The incident occurred at around Katari before Jere Abuja -Kaduna expressway.
“The bandits have confirmed their custodian of the relatives victims in their hands and demanded for ransom starting with N200 million and later N50 million, for the 13 of them.
“There are others, picked up by the bandits that are not our relatives, I had of it on news reports”, the father lamented sobbing.
“Our own prayer is for our children to come out of it alive. Most of them kidnapped are teenagers, children of age between 10, 12, 13, 17 and 28 years old. One person killed and three others sustain gun shot injuries”, Bukola emphasized.
The Sunday SOS for help therefore has further confirmed that innocent Nigerians including their children and relatives, kidnapped on Abuja -Kaduna highway are languishing in bandits den.
