Bandits demand N10 million to release corpse of man they killed after collecting N3 million

Bandits demand N10 million to release corpse of man they killed after collecting N3 million

Story from Saleh INUWA, Kano

Bandits have demanded N10 million as ransom for the release of the corpse of one man, Obadiah Ibrahim, who has been their victim after kidnapping him a few weeks ago in Kaduna State.

Brother to the victim, Kefas Obadiah, said the bandits had collected N3 million but still refused to release the corpse of the victim abducted in October.

“Ibrahim had died on Monday and they informed us on Thursday. We asked for his corpse and they said we should pay them N10 million if we wanted the corpse, (that) they’d not work for us free of charge,” he said.

Obadiah while narrating the family ordeal, added: “My brother’s name is Obadiah Ibrahim. He was kidnapped in early October in Sabon Gaya on his way back from Abuja to Kaduna.

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“Although I wasn’t the one communicating with the bandits, there was a negotiator. Earlier, the bandits demanded N200 million and later settled for N3 million plus.

“They said we should bring the money. After giving them the ransom, they told us the money was for their foodstuffs which got finished, and that we should go and bring N15 million.

“They later came down to N5 million and three motorbikes and later collected one bike. After collecting a bike, we didn’t hear from them again. We tried to communicate with them but unfortunately, we were unable to.

“Then, on Thursday, when the negotiator called them, they said our brother was dead. We thought they were joking. When he continued, they threatened to track him and come for him if (he) did not stop calling their line.

“They said their own men were arrested by the police, tied to a tree and killed. So, they vented their anger too on our brother because of what the police did to their brother.

“The bandits also said ‘Allah’, (swearing in the name of God that) if we brought the money, they’d release the corpse in three days.”