A man identified as @suleima85943548 on Twitter has raised an alarm over the abduction of his family members by unknown gunmen in Katsina State. According to his tweet, his junior brother’s wife, two of his cousins, and their four children were kidnapped around 4pm on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, on their way back to Katsina from Dan Musa Local Government Area.
He said there has been no word from the kidnappers since then and appealed for help from the authorities and the public.
His tweet read: “Kidnapping, My Junior brother Wife, two of my cousins, with their four children were kidnapped 4pm today on there way back to Katsina from Dan Musa local Government, no words up till now.”
Katsina State has been one of the hotspots of kidnapping and banditry in Nigeria, with several cases of mass abductions of students, travelers, and villagers reported in the past few years.
In December 2020, over 300 schoolboys were kidnapped from Government Science Secondary School in Kankara by gunmen who later released them after negotiations with the state government.
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In February 2021, 42 people, including 27 students, were kidnapped from Government Science College in Kagara, Niger State, by armed bandits who also released them after a week in captivity.
Kidnapping for ransom has become a lucrative criminal enterprise in Nigeria, with over 3,000 people kidnapped in the first half of 2021 alone.
The Nigerian government has been criticized for its inability to curb the menace and protect the lives and property of its citizens.