Bandits in Katsina State have released a threatening video of the wedding guests abducted last Thursday during an attack on a convoy in Damari, Sabuwa Local Government Area.
The bandits, numbering around 63 according to their leader, clad in police uniform, are demanding a ransom of N100 million for the release of the hostages.
In the video, the bandits flaunt their captives, including women dressed in military attire with AK-47 rifles hung around their necks.
The leader taunted the government, threatening to forcibly marry the already-married bride unless the ransom was paid. The bandits also vow to sell off the hostages if their demands are not met.
The victims, which include 55 wedding guests and four members of a vigilante group, were ambushed while travelling in an open van in Sabuwa. The attackers killed the vigilante members and abducted the wedding guests, including children.
Family members of the abducted victims confirmed the ransom demand, expressing their inability to provide such a substantial amount.
Haruna Abdullahi, an uncle of the bride, told Daily Trust: “They are asking for N100 million as ransom. None of us has ever seen that amount of money, so I told them directly that we don’t have such funds.”
Among those kidnapped are eight sisters and nine daughters of one family, along with several other relatives.
The bandits claim they shot the video as a challenge to Governor Dikko Umar Radda, who had reportedly vowed to rescue the victims.