Families of 14 Kidnapped Individuals in Kaduna Struggle to Raise N14 Million Ransom

The families of 14 individuals who were kidnapped from the Janjala community in the Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, including a vigilante member along with his spouse, have made a desperate plea to the government for assistance.

These victims have been held captive for almost a month, and their families have managed to collect only N3 million out of the N14 million demanded by the kidnappers.

An intermediary communicating on behalf of the families revealed this information to our reporter through a phone conversation on Saturday.

The source indicated that since the incident on March 11, 2026, the families have been in turmoil, trying their hardest to gather the N1 million demanded for each victim's release.

Despite having provided the kidnappers with food and a cash payment of N500,000 as previously requested, the assailants are now insisting on an additional N1 million for every victim.

On Friday evening, the bandit leader reached out to inquire about the status of the ransom. "I informed him that only N3 million has been raised so far. He cut me off before I could explain how we raised the money," the source mentioned.

Additionally, the intermediary clarified that some families were forced to sell off their agricultural produce and personal belongings in order to raise the N3 million.

A leader from the community, who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons, has confirmed the situation and has called for intervention from security forces to safely retrieve the kidnapped victims.

A local security source, also speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that he was not aware of the specific ransom demands but reassured that security operatives are actively searching the forests to locate the kidnappers' hideout.

As of the time of this report, the Kaduna State Police Command's spokesperson, DSP Hassan Mansur, had not provided a statement regarding the ongoing situation.