A former media aide to late Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, Reuben Buhari, has alleged that a young girl abducted by bandits in Kaduna State died after spending more than two months in captivity.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Buhari claimed the girl was among 11 residents kidnapped from Awon village in Kachia Local Government Area and died after enduring prolonged starvation while being held by the abductors.
According to him, the victims, including the girl’s mother, had been in captivity for 76 days when the family was informed of her death.
Buhari alleged that the kidnappers demanded a ransom of ₦300m and 25 motorcycles for the release of the hostages, rejecting an earlier offer made by members of the community.
He further claimed that the abductors had recently stopped providing food to the captives, allowing them access only to water while insisting that their ransom demand be met.
According to Buhari, the children among the abductees were the worst affected, alleging that the deceased girl eventually died in her mother’s arms after days without food.
He added that relatives were appealing to the kidnappers to release the girl’s body for burial.
As of the time of filing this report, the claims had not been independently verified.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the command’s spokesperson, DSP Mansir Hassan, did not respond to calls seeking confirmation of the incident.
(The Whistler)