14, April 2026
Terrorists are demanding 150 million naira in ransom for over 15 Katsina residents kidnapped in Zangon community, Kankara area, just two days after police ordered a crackdown on bandits in the state.
Reports indicate that terrorists raided the community on Saturday and Sunday, abducting mostly women and children. While these terrorists have killed hundreds in the northwest, ransom remains their primary motive.
“The bandits had earlier abducted two people from this community before their attack on Saturday and Sunday. We have many people in their hands,” a resident of the community, who teaches in a secondary school in Kankara town told reporter over the phone while he sought anonymity for security reasons.
The source further said terrorists contacted family members of one abductee, demanding N150 million for the release of all captives.
Another source, Usman, evacuated his parents to Kankara, saying, “Who has this sort of money here?” .He added that the community faces frequent attacks.
He said several residents of the community have left in fear of possible attacks.
Asked whether the ransom would be paid, the teacher, a community leader, said, “We are discussing with all community stakeholders to decide what to do next.”
The abduction occurred two days after the Zone 14 Assistant Inspector General of Police, based in Katsina, Bello Shehu, ordered police commissioners in Katsina and Kaduna to crack down on bandits.
“The AIG has directed Commissioners of Police within the Zone to deploy specialised tactical units to assert operational dominance, dismantle criminal organisations, and maintain a visible and sustained policing presence across all identified high-risk locations within the affected states.
“All tactical units have been placed on red alert and directed to maintain continuous patrols across forested regions, rural communities, major highways, places of worship, and other public venues. Supervisory officers have been explicitly directed to ensure discipline, operational effectiveness, and accountability among personnel,” Umar Mohammed, the Zone 14 spokesperson, said in a statement sent that the North-west region is facing a complex security crisis that began as a farmer-herder conflict.
Armed terrorists, commonly referred to as bandits, have indeed waged a brutal campaign in Nigeria, particularly in the northern regions, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands and displacing over a million people.
These attacks have led to widespread insecurity, with communities living in fear of abductions, killings, and destruction of property.
The Nigerian government has been working to address the issue, with the military launching operations to tackle banditry and rescue victims. However, the situation remains challenging, with reports of ransom demands and payments fueling the cycle of violence
The impact of these attacks is felt across various states, including Katsina, Kaduna, and Zamfara, where kidnappings, killings, and destruction of property have become common occurrences.
The government’s stance on not paying ransom to kidnappers has been reiterated, but many families still negotiate and pay to secure their loved ones’ release
