By Muhammad Mamman
Communities in Nigeria’s Edo State are racing against time to raise a ransom of 40 million naira ($26,000) demanded by kidnappers holding several residents, as captors issue renewed threats to kill the victims if payment is not made.
Local sources told Al Jazeera that the abductees were seized in recent weeks during attacks on rural settlements, heightening fear across the area. Families of the victims say the kidnappers have repeatedly contacted them, insisting on full payment and setting deadlines accompanied by threats of execution.
“We are helpless,” a community leader, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said. “These are farmers and traders. Raising 40 million naira is beyond us, but we are trying everything to save our people.”
Residents say they have begun pooling personal savings, selling livestock and appealing to relatives and well-wishers to meet the demand, even as many struggle with rising living costs and shrinking incomes.
Edo State, like several parts of southern and central Nigeria, has witnessed a surge in kidnappings-for-ransom, with criminal gangs targeting villages and highways. Despite repeated assurances from authorities, locals say security patrols remain thin in remote areas.
State security officials have not publicly commented on the latest abductions, but police sources say efforts are ongoing to track the kidnappers and rescue the victims.
For now, families wait anxiously as deadlines loom, torn between the fear of paying ransoms and the risk of losing their loved ones if they do not.
