Two Sokoto Kidnap Victims Give Birth in Captivity

Two Sokoto Kidnap Victims Give Birth in Captivity

Two women abducted by bandits in Sokoto State have reportedly given birth while in captivity, nearly seven weeks after they were kidnapped alongside six other members of their family.

The victims were seized during a raid on Takatsaba village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State. According to a relative who spoke on condition of anonymity, the attackers stormed the community and abducted eight members of a single household; five women and three men during the incident.

The source disclosed that an elderly man was killed in the attack, leaving some children orphaned.

He further revealed that two of the kidnapped women delivered a baby boy and a baby girl respectively while being held by their captors.

The family has reportedly paid more than ₦8 million in ransom but is yet to meet the ₦10 million demanded by the bandits. “We have been struggling to raise the ransom. Although over eight million naira has been paid, we have not been able to meet the ten million naira demanded,” the relative said.

He added that three of the abductees, including a nursing mother, managed to escape and have since reached Zurmi town in Zamfara State. They are currently receiving medical attention at a health facility in Sabon Birni.

However, three young men and two women are said to still be in captivity.

The relative appealed to the authorities to intensify security efforts in the area, calling for the urgent deployment of security personnel to protect vulnerable communities.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said the command was unaware of the incident, noting that it had not been officially reported.

The development underscores the worsening security challenges facing rural communities in parts of northwestern Nigeria, where bandit attacks and kidnappings for ransom have continued to pose serious threats to residents.