Bandits operating in the Eastern Senatorial District of Sokoto State have adopted a new twist to their operations in demanding for ransom.
They now write letters to families of their victims, demanding ransoms, following the shutdown of telecommunication services in the area.
Suspected bandits attacked Gangara and Gatawa towns, in Sabon Birni Local Government Area, where residents said over 20 persons were killed and 27 persons kidnapped.
But the Sokoto State Police Command only confirmed the killing of four persons in Gangara town, and did not provide detail on the attack in Gatawa.
The bandits, who abducted scores of people on Friday, have allegedly written a letter to the monarch in Burkusuma, demanding for ransom to secure the release of 20 persons kidnapped from the two communities in Sabon Birni council area.
A resident of Getawa, who disclosed this to our correspondent in Sokoto said, “One of the victims who was released, delivered the letter to the Sarkin Rakin Burkusuma.
“The letter was written in Hausa language by one of the victims kidnapped and addressed to Sarkin Rafin Burkusuma, the district head of the area.
“The bandits, in the letter delivered by one of the freed kidnap victims, informed the monarch that those abducted from Gatawa and Burkusuma are all in good condition of health.
“They demanded a ransom of N20m to be paid for the release of other 19 kidnap victims comprising nine males, eight females and two children, whose names were written in the letter.”
Efforts to get the reaction of Sokoto State Police Command on this development was unsuccessful, as the mobile line of the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Sanusi Abubakar, cannot be reached; while sms sent to him was not replied to as of the time of filing this report.
