TELL Magazine

The bandits who, on Thursday June 23, abducted 22 farmers from their farms in Abuja, on Sunday, demanded  ₦44 million ransom from the families of the victims. Ibrahim Barde, an engineer and spokesman of one of the families, confirmed to TELL that the kidnappers were asking for two million naira for each of the 22 peasant farmers.

‘These are peasant farmers; where will the community find that kind of money? We are begging the kidnappers to have mercy and release them,” he pleaded.

He also called on the government to intervene and rescue the farmers.

Oduniyi Omotayo, deputy spokesman of the Federal Capital Territory Police, has confirmed the abduction. He said “The farmers were on their farmland working when gunmen outnumbered and kidnapped them.”

The farmers are from the rural community of Rafin Daji,Gurbe Ward, Abaji Local Government Area Council. They were kidnapped on Wednesday, June 22, while working in thier farms. The bandits burnt one of the three tractors working in the farms.

Barde, a family member, said 13 members of his family, were among the 22 victims. The community has boundary with Lapai Government Area, Niger State.