Two of the eight kidnapped victims in Sokoto State have delivered a baby boy and a baby girl respectively while in captivity, seven weeks after they were abducted alongside six other members of the same family from Takatsaba village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area.

A relative of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the abductees comprised five women and three men.

He said the bandits stormed the village, kidnapped members of a single household, and killed an elderly man during the attack, leaving some of the children orphaned.

He said, “We have been struggling to raise the ransom. Although over eight million naira has been paid, we have not been able to meet the ten million naira demanded by the bandits. Three of the victims, including a nursing mother, have escaped and are now in Zurmi town in Zamfara State.

“They are currently receiving medical attention at a health facility in Sabon Birni. However, three young men and two women remain in captivity.”

He called on security agencies and the government to urgently strengthen security in the area. “We need brave security personnel deployed to our communities,” he said.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said, “We are not aware of the incident because residents did not report it to us.” (Daily Trust)