35 Kidnapped Villagers Killed Despite Ransom Paid in Zamfara, Nigeria

A disturbing security report has just come in from northern Nigeria concerning a mass murder of more than 35 kidnapped villagers from Banga Village in Kauran Namoda Local Government Area, Zamfara State, in which bandits brutally killed the victims even after ransom was paid - which received worldwide media attention.The captured villagers were part of a group of 56 abductees in a March 2024 hostage incident. The bandits are part of one of the ever-expanding criminal gangs operating in northwestern Nigeria. In recent years, such groups have become notorious for carrying out mass kidnappings for ransom, working mostly in rural communities, schools, and highways. 

According to the chairman of the local government, Manniru Haidara Kaura, the criminals demanded one million naira (~\$655 or £485) for each victim. One million naira was paid after a short period of negotiation had taken place. On Saturday, 18 of the hostages were released, 17 of them women and one young boy. Before the release, however, 35 of the remaining hostages were killed. Kaura shared a terrifying description of the scene, noting the young victims were “slaughtered like rams” while rejoining the community of senseless and heartless individuals who attacked the very communities to which they belonged. Among the survivors were three of the pregnant women, who had given birth while in captivity, but all of the newborn babies died without medical care.

Those who were released claim they were also forced to witness victims being killed, before being released. Sixteen of the released have been reported to be receiving treatment in a hospital, and the deceased are unlikely to be recovered because kidnappers normally leave the bodies in isolated wooded areas. Governments of Zamfara State condemned the killings, as barbaric and cowardly acts, and expressed solidarity with families mourning their loved ones. They also will seek to bring the perpetrators to justice. They have also called on residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to aid the struggle against terrorism and criminality. No arrests have been made so far despite all assurances. 

In 2022, Nigeria passed a law criminalizing ransom payment, which attracted a minimum sentence of 15 years in jail. Another clause in the law provides that if the victim dies in the course of the abduction, the culprit can be put to death. The law, however, has been rarely enforced, and no case has ever come before any court on account of it. Families usually pay the ransom, citing the inability of the government to protect them and secure the release through any other means.

This tragedy in the Banga village is yet another ominous indication of an increasingly dire security situation in northern Nigeria. As communities still become victims of attacks from armed gangs, there have been several calls for increased action, effective law enforcement, and punishment to finally put an end to this terror and deliver justice to the victims.