Summary
Kidnappers in Nigeria killed at least 35 of the 56 people they took from a village in Zamfara state, even after ransom was paid for some of them. These kidnappings are carried out by groups known as bandits who use this method to get money.
Key Facts
- Kidnappers in Nigeria killed 35 hostages from a village in northern Zamfara state.
- The abductions happened in March in Banga village within the Kauran Namoda area.
- The gunmen initially took 56 people and demanded a ransom of one million naira per person.
- After the ransom was paid, 18 people, mostly women and a young boy, were released.
- Local officials confirmed that the deceased were mostly young people.
- In 2022, a law was passed in Nigeria to make paying ransom illegal and abduction punishable by death if victims die, but no arrests have been made under this law.
- Families still often pay ransoms due to a lack of security protection from the government.
