Bandits have reportedly killed 38 of 50 people abducted in Kaura Namoda town and Banga village in the Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

In May 2025, the terrorists had raided the two communities and abducted over 50 people, mostly women and children.

According to Daily Trust, the coordinated attack was allegedly led by the notorious bandits’ leader, Dan Sadiya, who is said to control Kaura Namoda and its surrounding areas.

The report said after taking the victims into captivity, the bandits initially demanded N150 million from the families of the abductees as ransom.

But the amount was reduced to N50m after intense negotiations.

Unfortunately, despite receiving the N50m ransom, the bandits failed to release most of the captives.

Instead, they released only 18 of the over 50 abducted individuals after nearly three months in captivity.

A resident of Banga village said the bandits arrived on motorbikes, heavily armed, and carried out the operation in just under an hour.

“The sporadic gunshots fired by the bandits woke some sleeping residents, who then fled into the bush for safety,” he said.

According to him, the attackers conducted a house-to-house search and abducted over 50 people, mostly women and children.

“The women and children were taken because the adult men had already escaped into the bush,” he said.

The bandits reportedly marched the victims out of the village on foot and also looted household belongings, including food items and other provisions.

Another resident, who lost his younger brother in the incident, said the kidnapped victims spent weeks in captivity before the abductors made contact and demanded ransom.

A relative of one of the abducted victims in Banga village, who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity, revealed that they had to sell their belongings, including livestock and farm produce, to raise the N50m ransom demanded by the bandits.

He explained that despite selling most of their possessions, the amount initially raised was still insufficient. As a result, they reached out to family members living in urban areas for additional support.

“When we realised we couldn’t raise the full amount, we contacted our relatives in Gusau, Kano, Kaduna and Abuja and asked them to contribute financially. That’s how we eventually managed to gather the N50m, which was later delivered to the bandits,” he said.

Meanwhile, sources disclosed that the bandits had on Saturday released 18 of the abducted individuals, while the remaining 38 were reportedly confirmed dead in captivity.

A relative of one of the survivors told Daily Trust that many of the victims were brutally killed, with some slaughtered like animals and others tortured to death.

“Those who were released told us that Dan Sadiya and his men slaughtered some of our people like rams. Others were shot dead. It’s horrifying,” the source said.

He added that several children among the captives died of hunger due to severe malnutrition and neglect.

“They were fed just once a day, and the food was not enough. The children couldn’t survive the starvation,” he said.

According to him, 15 adults, both men and women, died from extreme torture inflicted by the bandits, saying: “They were severely beaten, even over the slightest issues. The physical abuse was relentless.”

He also disclosed that about 10 victims were shot dead by the bandits for allegedly failing to meet demands for additional ransom.

“This is terrible. These bandits are worse than animals. How can anyone slaughter fellow human being in such a brutal manner?” he asked.

The source further revealed that several of the abducted women were repeatedly raped during captivity.

“We believe some of the women died from the trauma of the horrific abuse they suffered in the hands of their captors,” he said.

Confirming the situation, Chairman of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, Mannir Mu’azu Haidara, said the 18 released victims had sustained various degrees of injuries from torture and are currently receiving treatment at the Kaura Namoda General Hospital.

“We’re working closely with security agencies to end banditry in this area,” he said.

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