Gunmen who abducted a couple and their young daughter in Katsina metropolis have demanded a ransom of ₦600 million from the victims’ family.
The victims, identified as 33-year-old Anas Ahmadu, his pregnant wife Halimat, and their daughter Jidda, were kidnapped during an early morning raid on Filin Canada Quarters in Sabuwar Unguwa area of Katsina metropolis on Tuesday.
During the attack, members of a vigilante group attempted to rescue the family but came under heavy fire. One of them, 25-year-old Abdullahi Muhammad, was shot dead in the process.
Family sources told Daily Trust that the kidnappers, using Ahmadu’s mobile phone, contacted Halimat’s uncle, Malam Ibrahim, demanding the staggering sum of ₦600 million for their release.
Initially, reports only confirmed the abduction and the vigilante’s death, but further details emerging on Wednesday revealed the ransom demand, which has thrown the family and community into deeper distress.
Residents of the area described the attack as “terrifying,” calling on security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims unharmed. The abduction has also reignited concerns over the rising spate of kidnappings in Katsina State, a region already plagued by incessant bandit attacks.
Security operatives have not yet issued an official statement on the incident at the time of filing this report.