35 Captives Killed by Nigerian Kidnappers Despite Ransom Payments

(Photos: YouTube Screenshots) - Tragically, kidnappers in Nigeria have taken the lives of 35 individuals abducted from Banga Village in northern Zamfara state, even after ransoms were reportedly provided.In recent years, the surge of kidnappings orchestrated by gangs has evolved as a persistent method of extortion. In this alarming case, 56 individuals were taken hostage, with the assailants demanding a ransom of $655 for each victim.Local government representative Manniru Haidara Kaura lamented that the majority of the deceased were youths, describing their fate as "slaughtered like rams.” Kaura added that, after negotiations, the captors received the ransom yet released only 18 hostages, including 17 women and one young boy. “They are senseless and heartless,” he stated, expressing disbelief at the loss of life among their own people.Sixteen of those freed are now receiving medical care. In response to the ongoing crisis, the Nigerian government enacted a 2022 law criminalizing ransom payments, yet no one has faced repercussions so far.