Nigeria's Appalling Kidnap Crisis: 35 Hostages Executed Despite Ransom Payment

Tue Oct 21 2025 06:40:15 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

**Nigeria's Appalling Kidnap Crisis: 35 Hostages Executed Despite Ransom Payment**

Authorities confirm the heartbreaking execution of 35 hostages in Zamfara, Nigeria, illustrating the ruthless tactics of criminal gangs.

Amidst an ongoing surge in abductions, a local official revealed that 35 hostages were killed after ransoms were negotiated, raising serious concerns about the safety and security of communities.

Gunmen in Nigeria's northern Zamfara state have brutally murdered at least 35 individuals they had taken hostage from the village of Banga, even after ransoms were reportedly paid for their release, according to local officials. This shocking incident highlights the alarming trend of violence committed by criminal groups known as bandits, who increasingly resort to kidnappings as a lucrative means of financial gain.

In March, a total of 56 villagers were kidnapped from Banga in Kauran Namoda local government area, prompting the gunmen to demand a ransom of one million naira (approximately $655 or £485) per hostage. After negotiations, local government chairman Manniru Haidara Kaura confirmed that some ransom was disbursed, resulting in the release of 18 captives—mostly women and a young boy—this past Saturday.

Kaura expressed his outrage upon learning of the killings, describing the victims, primarily youths, as having been “slaughtered like rams.” He lamented the senseless brutality of their murderers, urging them to reflect on the ramifications of their actions. "They are senseless and heartless people,” he stated, adding, “They forget that they are killing their own brothers, and we will all meet before Allah."

Among the individuals freed, 16 are currently receiving medical treatment for their injuries, while the bodies of the deceased captives are unlikely to be returned to their families. In many of these tragic cases, kidnappers typically refuse to release remains, compounding the grief endured by already traumatized communities.

In a bid to combat the growing kidnapping epidemic, Nigerian lawmakers in 2022 passed legislation penalizing ransom payments with a 15-year prison sentence and imposing the death penalty for abduction in cases leading to victim casualties. Yet, despite the stringent laws, local families report feeling pressured to pay ransoms to secure the safety of their loved ones, citing government failures to protect citizens.

The brutal reality of Nigeria's abduction crisis underscores the urgent need for effective measures to protect communities and safeguard human lives against ongoing threats from criminal syndicates.