Bandits responsible for the Easter Sunday abduction of worshippers in Arikon, Kaduna State, have demanded a N5 billion ransom for the victims and threatened to kill everyone in captivity if the money is not paid, family sources said Friday.
The gunmen stormed a church in Ariko village during Easter celebrations and abducted dozens of congregants, killing at least five people on-site, according to security forces. Local church officials had earlier put the death toll as high as seven.
The Nigerian Army had announced that 31 persons taken hostage during the church attack were rescued after troops confronted the attackers in Kaduna State. The Army said soldiers engaged the attackers in a “fierce firefight”, forcing them to flee and abandon the hostages. Officials noted that the gunmen appeared to have suffered casualties, pointing to blood trails along their escape routes.
However, community leaders have disputed the rescue claim. The Village Chief of Arikon, Chief Joshua Doka, countered the Army’s statement during an interview in Katari, stating flatly that “nobody was rescued”. A statement attributed to the community added, “We wish to state categorically that this claim is entirely false, misleading, and does not reflect the current situation. Contrary to reports, all abducted persons are still in captivity”.
A dependable source who requested anonymity told reporters via telephone that the bandits called on Wednesday using one of the victims’ phones to issue the ransom demand. The source said the bandit leader contacted a resident of Katari who is acting as a mediator for the families. The mediator’s name was withheld for security reasons.
“On Thursday, around 11:12 am, the bandit leader called again. This was after they released the video of the victims. They demanded N5 billion or they will kill everyone,” the source said, adding that the leader hung up immediately after stating the ransom.
When contacted on Friday, Chief Joshua Doka declined further comment. “All I can tell you is that we need your prayers for God to rescue my people from the hands of those who now see themselves as ‘government.’ That is all I can say,” the chief said.
The attack on Easter Sunday was part of a wave of violence that day, with attackers reportedly storming villages in Kachia and Kajuru areas of Kaduna State, targeting churches including ECWA and Catholic congregations. Several people were killed on-site, while others were abducted; some were later rescued by security forces.
The spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Hassan Mansur, did not respond to calls or text messages regarding the development at the time of filing this report.
The Chief of Defence Operations, Major General Emeka Onumajuru, says the Nigerian Armed Forces do not support paying money to criminal groups. Speaking in an interview, he stressed that experience had shown ransom payments do not work and that the military was not part of such arrangements.
Families of the abducted worshippers have appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the release of the victims alive, amid fears over the bandits’ threats.
