Two nursing mothers have narrated how a 15-member gang of kidnappers killed their husband and abducted them and their babies in Sabon Gayan, a village along Kaduna-Abuja road.

The village located near National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, orientation camp, about 10 kilometres from Kaduna, is one of the areas currently facing challenges of kidnapping despite security measures in place.

“We spent five days under a tree in the den of the kidnappers inside a thick forest before we were freed after payment of N100,000 ransom to them(the abductors) by our family,” Aisha Shehu, one of the two abducted nursing mothers said when PREMIUM TIMES visited them on Sunday after their release.

It was learned that Shehu Mohammed, the deceased husband of the women, who is a truck driver, was attacked by the kidnappers, around 12-midnight penultimate Saturday.

Mr. Mohammed was married to three wives(including the two victims) and had nine children and an aged mother.

The victims recalled that their residence was under siege by the abductors for over one hour. They pulled down the main door of their room, shot their husband several times, and carted away an unspecified amount of money before abducting them and their three-month-old babies.

“Our husband refused to open the door when they came around 12 midnight. He shouted for help and called neighbours on phone. Nobody came to our rescue. Even the police patrol van which was a stone-throw from our house on Kaduna-Abuja highway and men from the nearby police post refused to come to our rescue, despite hearing several gun shots.

“We were left to our fate to die. The kidnappers dragged us at gun point, left behind two of our children, a three-year old and a seven-year old who watched over the body of their father in a pool of his own blood before people eventually came in the morning.’’

The women said initially, the abductors demanded N10 million but later scaled it down to N100,000 after much pleading by the victims.

“They later accepted N100,000 and then two members of their gang escorted us to a bush near our village after about 24 hours trek in the bush,” one of the victims said.

Shansiya Shehu, the third wife and the most senior who was in her separate house in Gwagwada, also in Chikun Local Government, pleaded with the government to take action to curb insecurity in the area.

Awwal Mohammed, elder brother of the deceased, said the family informed the police about the abductors’ call for ransom but they refused to take action.

Recently there was a peaceful protest against rising insecurity in front of the village head’s residence by aggrieved members of the community.

In a related development, one Farouk Mohammed, a motor scrap trader, was also reported to have been kidnapped while on his farm at Sabon Gaya on Saturday morning.

Mukhtar Mohammed, a family member, told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday that the abductors have contacted the family with a ransom demand of N1.5 million.

“We are, however, negotiating with them. This kidnap incident is insane and is becoming one too many. The government must do something tangible before the situation becomes out of control,” Mr. Mohammed said.

When contacted, Agyole Abeh, the State Commissioner of Police, said he would investigate all alleged incidences of negligence by his men and act appropriately.

He, however, said the police would not condone any frivolous protests by the natives.