Latest news with #bandits
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Nigeria kidnappers kill 35 hostages even after ransom paid
Kidnappers in Nigeria have killed at least 35 people they abducted from a village in northern Zamfara state despite ransoms being paid for their release, a local official told the BBC. In recent years, criminal gangs in the region, known in the country as bandits, have taken to kidnapping people as a means to raise money. In this incident, 56 people were taken from Banga village, Kauran Namoda local government area in March. The gunmen then demanded a ransom of one million naira ($655; £485) per captive, media in Nigeria report. Local government chairman Manniru Haidara Kaura said that most of those killed were young people who "were slaughtered like rams". "What happened was that the bandits demanded ransom money, and after some back-and-forth, they were given what they asked for. They then released 18 people, including 17 women and one young boy, on Saturday," Haidara added. "Only they [the gunmen] know why they killed them. They are senseless and heartless people. They forget that they are killing their own brothers, and we will all meet before Allah." Sixteen of those released on Saturday are in the hospital receiving treatment, while the bodies of the 38 killed by the bandits are unlikely to be returned as in these cases corpses are rarely released. In an attempt to curb the spiralling and lucrative kidnapping industry, a law was enacted in 2022 making it a crime to make ransom payments. It carries a jail sentence of at least 15 years, however no-one has ever been arrested on those charges. It also made abduction punishable by death in cases where victims die. But families often feel forced to pay to save their loved ones, citing the government's inability to ensure their safety. You may also be interested in: Nigeria's kidnap crisis: Inside story of a ransom negotiator Nigeria's abductions: What lies behind the resurgence? Schoolboy recounts daring escape from bandits Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Focus on Africa This Is Africa Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Nigeria kidnappers kill 38 hostages even after ransom paid
Kidnappers in Nigeria have killed at least 38 people they abducted from a village in northern Zamfara state despite ransoms being paid for their release, a local official told the BBC. In recent years, criminal gangs in the region, known in the country as bandits, have taken to kidnapping people as a means to raise money. In this incident, 56 people were taken from Banga village, Kauran Namoda local government area in March. The gunmen then demanded a ransom of one million naira ($655; £485) per captive, media in Nigeria report. Local government chairman Manniru Haidara Kaura said that most of those killed were young people who "were slaughtered like rams". "What happened was that the bandits demanded ransom money, and after some back-and-forth, they were given what they asked for. They then released 18 people, including 17 women and one young boy, on Saturday," Haidara added. "Only they [the gunmen] know why they killed them. They are senseless and heartless people. They forget that they are killing their own brothers, and we will all meet before Allah." Sixteen of those released on Saturday are in the hospital receiving treatment, while the bodies of the 38 killed by the bandits are unlikely to be returned as in these cases corpses are rarely released. In an attempt to curb the spiralling and lucrative kidnapping industry, a law was enacted in 2022 making it a crime to make ransom payments. It carries a jail sentence of at least 15 years, however no-one has ever been arrested on those charges. It also made abduction punishable by death in cases where victims die. But families often feel forced to pay to save their loved ones, citing the government's inability to ensure their safety. You may also be interested in: Nigeria's kidnap crisis: Inside story of a ransom negotiator Nigeria's abductions: What lies behind the resurgence? Schoolboy recounts daring escape from bandits Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Focus on Africa This Is Africa
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Nigeria kidnappers kill 38 hostages 'like rams'
Kidnappers in Nigeria have killed at least 38 people they abducted from a village in northern Zamfara state despite ransoms being paid for their release, a local official told the BBC. In recent years, criminal gangs in the region, known in the country as bandits, have taken to kidnapping people as a means to raise money. In this incident, 56 people were taken from Banga village, Kauran Namoda local government area in March. The gunmen then demanded a ransom of one million naira ($655; £485) per captive, media in Nigeria report. Local government chairman Manniru Haidara Kaura said that most of those killed were young people who "were slaughtered like rams". "What happened was that the bandits demanded ransom money, and after some back-and-forth, they were given what they asked for. They then released 18 people, including 17 women and one young boy, on Saturday," Haidara added. "Only they [the gunmen] know why they killed them. They are senseless and heartless people. They forget that they are killing their own brothers, and we will all meet before Allah." Sixteen of those released on Saturday are in the hospital receiving treatment, while the bodies of the 38 killed by the bandits are unlikely to be returned as in these cases corpses are rarely released. In an attempt to curb the spiralling and lucrative kidnapping industry, a law was enacted in 2022 making it a crime to make ransom payments. It carries a jail sentence of at least 15 years, however no-one has ever been arrested on those charges. It also made abduction punishable by death in cases where victims die. But families often feel forced to pay to save their loved ones, citing the government's inability to ensure their safety. You may also be interested in: Nigeria's kidnap crisis: Inside story of a ransom negotiator Nigeria's abductions: What lies behind the resurgence? Schoolboy recounts daring escape from bandits Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Focus on Africa This Is Africa
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Nigeria kidnapping: Kidnappers in Zamfara kill 38 hostages 'like rams'
Kidnappers in Nigeria have killed at least 38 people they abducted from a village in northern Zamfara state despite ransoms being paid for their release, a local official told the BBC. In recent years, criminal gangs in the region, known in the country as bandits, have taken to kidnapping people as a means to raise this incident, 56 people were taken from Banga village, Kauran Namoda local government area in March. The gunmen then demanded a ransom of one million naira ($655; £485) per captive, media in Nigeria government chairman Manniru Haidara Kaura said that most of those killed were young people who "were slaughtered like rams". "What happened was that the bandits demanded ransom money, and after some back-and-forth, they were given what they asked for. They then released 18 people, including 17 women and one young boy, on Saturday," Haidara added."Only they [the gunmen] know why they killed them. They are senseless and heartless people. They forget that they are killing their own brothers, and we will all meet before Allah."Sixteen of those released on Saturday are in the hospital receiving treatment, while the bodies of the 38 killed by the bandits are unlikely to be returned as in these cases corpses are rarely an attempt to curb the spiralling and lucrative kidnapping industry, a law was enacted in 2022 making it a crime to make ransom payments. It carries a jail sentence of at least 15 years, however no-one has ever been arrested on those also made abduction punishable by death in cases where victims families often feel forced to pay to save their loved ones, citing the government's inability to ensure their safety. You may also be interested in: Nigeria's kidnap crisis: Inside story of a ransom negotiatorNigeria's abductions: What lies behind the resurgence?Schoolboy recounts daring escape from bandits Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Associated Press
Boat capsizes in Nigeria's Niger state and at least 25 people feared dead, authorities say
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A boat transporting passengers to a market in north-central Nigeria capsized, killing at least 25 people, authorities said Sunday. The accident happened Saturday near Gumu village in the Shiroro area of Niger state, Ibrahim Hussaini, an official with the National Emergency Management Agency, told The Associated Press. Hussaini said search and rescue efforts were underway, but are limited because armed gangs mostly control the area. He added that the number of casualties may rise. 'Very few people can go to the scene because of banditry in that area,' he told the AP. Armed groups, commonly referred to as bandits, have stepped up attacks in recent months in the north-central region, complicating rescue efforts. The accident is the latest in a series of deadly boat accidents on Nigerian waterways, where accidents are common in remote communities, especially during the rainy season, due to overloaded and poorly maintained vessels. In September last year, a boat carrying mostly farmers capsized on a river in the northwestern state of Zamfara, drowning at least 40 people. At least 326 people died in boat accidents in Nigeria in 2024, according to a count by TheCable, a local media outlet. Analysts say many boats operate without life jackets and blame weak enforcement by regulatory authorities.
