At least 26 more persons were released by the armed bandits including 8 Nigeriens on Tuesday. They were released to the Commissioner of Police, State Command, in Aljimma villages, in Maradun local government area of the state. One of the released captives, Muazu Dahiru, said he and other kidnapped victims were blindfolded by the armed bandits for 42 days.

Dahiru, who is a citizen of Niger Republic said he alongside seven other Nigeriens were coming back from a Sanshe Market in Maradi in the neighbouring Niger Republic when they were rounded up by armed men.

“Our vehicle developed a mechanical fault somewhere in a forest on our way back home from the market and we were trying to fix it when a group of armed bandits came over the very spot we were standing and took us into the forest,”

“From there they tore my shirt and blindfolded me and I remained like that for six weeks. We could not differentiate between day and night. They beat us and sometimes threatened to kill us. We were being fed twice and sometimes once daily,” Dahiru said. He said his parent did not know what actually happened to him and his brother because they were not contacted by the armed bandits nor did the bandits demand for ransom to set them free. Speaking the Commissioner of Police, Mr Usman Nagogo, said the released victims would be medically examined and treated so before they are reunited with their families. He said through persuasion and dialogue, over about 300 kidnapped victims were rescued from the bandits and other militia groups in the last three weeks. (Daily Trust)