Lack of network: Bandits’ letter demanding N20 million ransom causes panic in Sokoto community

Bandits operating from forests in sokoto in the North West Nigeria have resorted to writing asking for payment of ransom for abductees as there was not mobile network for them to communicate.

Sokoto Eastern Senatorial district has been a haven of bandits with 100 camps with about 30,000 bandits and this time, they wrote a letter to a traditional ruler in Burkusuma in Sabon-Birni Local Government demanding for N20 million ransom.

The ransom, according to the letter which was written in Hausa language, was for the release of 20 abductees languishing in different bandits camps.

The letter was alledgedly written by a victim who is fluent in Hausa letter writing, who addressed the letter to Sarkin Rafin Burkusuma, the district head of the area.

The bandits in the letter informed the district head that their victims (abducted in Gatawa and Burkusuma) are all in good health and doing great with them.

They demanded a ransom of N20 million must be paid before they would release their victims. The kidnapped victims, whose names were all written in the letter, were nine males, eight females and two children, one of which was released to deliver the letter to Gatawa through the SarkinRakinBurkusuma.

Bandits insisted that they wouldn’t release the victims until ransom was paid.

Sources said Sokoto State Police Command was aware of the letter, but State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Sanusi Abubakar, who couldn’t be reached was also yet to issue official statement.