The family of a woman, who gave birth in captivity, have cried out to Federal, Kaduna state government and individuals for assistance, as bandits demand N50 million ransom to release the nursing mother and her two sisters.
The three sisters were kidnapped on July 17, 2022 in Mando, on the outskirt of Kaduna, at their family house where they were tending to their sick mother.
Their mother, who could walk unaided before their capture, has now been confined to the wheelchair due to the trauma of her children’s abduction.
The eldest of the sisters, who was heavily pregnant when they were kidnapped, has given birth in captivity without recourse to medical or human care for both mother and child, as they are subjected to harsh whether, eating and drinking whatever is available in the bandits’ den in the forest and even being flogged whenever their relatives failed to agree with the bandits’ ransom demands.
Recounting the family’s ordeal, the captives’ father, Malam AbdulWahab Yusuf, said the bandits broke into their Mando home around 1:05am that day.
“My two daughters and their pregnant elder sister, who came from her husband’s house to look after their mother were at home when the bandits broke into the house, I ran out and jumped the back fence but my three daughters were kidnapped and taken to the forest.
“They first asked for N140 million, but now they have reduced the ransom to N50 million. The family has been adversely affected by the trauma. My wife, who was walking normally before the incident, now uses wheelchair. We just carried out a surgery on her. I have not been myself, I cannot sleep, once it is night I don’t know how my body feels,” Malam Yusuf lamented.
Also speaking, the elder brother of the kidnapped sisters, Kabiru Yusuf said, “since the kidnap, we have been negotiating with them. The bandits initially demanded for N140 million but we pleaded with them that we are poor people, so they reduced it to N100 we pleaded with them further and they reduced it to N50 million last week Saturday and threatened that if we don’t have the N50 million ready, we should not call them again.
“My sisters lamented to me on Sunday that they were being mistreated, adding that the bandits commander wants to leave the camp and may not return until after a while, so we should talk to them. But I told them that we have sold everything we have but what we raised is not tangible and we don’t have anything to sell again they started crying and I broke down weeping too.
“We are appealing to the Federal Government, Kaduna state government charity organisations, philanthropists and well spirited individuals to assist us in securing their release. We don’t want anything to happen to them, if anything happens to them only God knows what effect it would have on our mother, who is now on wheelchair because of their abduction, and the family.”
The husband to the nursing woman and father of three, including the baby born in captivity, Mr. Mohammed Alabi, equally appealed to government, organisations, even well to do individuals to come to their aid as the two children at home are asking for their mother.
“My pregnant wife left my house to her parent’s house to cater for her sick mother on July 17, only for me to receive a call that they have been kidnapped with her sisters.
“She gave birth at the kidnappers’camp on Friday August 2nd, mother and child are not feeling fine, they have not been given any medical care. The baby used to cry from night till morning inside the forest. We learnt they were being mistreated, flogged. Our two children at home used to cry everyday telling me ‘daddy go and bring our mother’ and I don’t know what to tell them. We are all dying emotionally and physically. We are appealing to whoever God will use to secure their release to please help us free them,” he said.
