Gunmen demand N20m for kidnapped Abuja landlords

Gunmen who kidnapped two residents of the Asokoro extension area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja are demanding N20 million ransom to release the victims.

The Asokoro Commander of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Muhammad Sa’idu, confirmed the incident, adding that effort was ongoing with the police to rescue the victims.

“Policemen attached to the Asokoro Police Station are aware of the matter. We have been combing the nearby bushes to see if we can rescue them,” he said.

According to sources, the armed men invaded the area last Sunday, pointed a gun at one of the residents, who is a landlord in the area, and used him to gain access to another victim.

A resident of the area, who simply identified himself as James, said that the other victim was making his way into his house when he was adopted by the armed men.

He said, “It happened around 11pm on Sunday. Because of the heat, one of the landlords slept outside. They saw him and pointed a gun to his head. They asked him to take them to his house, and he showed them but they were not satisfied with the kind of house he lives in.

“There were other big houses next to his house. So, they went with him and asked him to knock on the gate of one of the houses. When he knocked, as a well-known neighbour, the gate was opened for him. That was how they accessed the man’s house and kidnapped him.

“The second landlord had issues with his car and came home with a motorcycle. He was about to enter his house when they attacked him and whisked him away.”

The source noted that the kidnappers had reached out to the families of the victims and demanded N20 million to release the landlords.

“Two hours after their operation, they called the two families to pay N10 million each. One of the families pleaded to pay N2 million and assured them that they would get it almost immediately, but they rejected and instead threatened to kill him if the N10 million is not complete,” he said.