JUST IN:Masari Receives 30 Released Abducted Victims In Katsina

Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State on Saturday received another batch of 30 persons, who were released by suspected bandits.

Masari was told that eight of the victims were from Kankara Local Government Area of the state while 18 were from Shimfida in Jibiya LGA.

The LGs of the remaining four victims were not disclosed.

One of the repentant bandits who brought the victims to Government house, Katsina (name withheld), explained that the victims were hitherto held at Damsadau forest in Zamfara State.

He said their abductor was from Zurmi in the neighboring Zamfara State and was picking his victims from Katsina state.

Addressing the freed victims, Governor Masari assured them that government would continue to persuade the suspected bandits to release more of the kidnapped victims until there was none in their custody.

He directed that the victims be taken to hospitals for a medical check-up before they are reunited with their families.

One of the victims, Zinatu Sani from Kankara told journalists that she was abducted from her matrimonial home with two of her children.

She said that the bandits initially demanded a ransom of N20 million which was later reduced to N6 million, which she said her family couldn’t pay.

She said the suspected bandits used to give them raw rice to cook with only water and salt.

Sani said that they slept in an open space for fifty-five (55) days whether it rained or not.

She added that there were still a lot of people in captivity inside the forest.

The freed victims were later handed over to the transition committee chairmen of Kankara and Jibiya LGs for medical check-up and eventual reunification with their families.NAN