Residents of Sabon Gyero community in Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have celebrated the release of several abducted residents who spent about 50 days in captivity.
The victims, who regained freedom on Thursday, included a pregnant woman, a nursing mother, another woman and her four children.
The abductees were kidnapped after armed bandits invaded the community four days before the end of the Ramadan fast.
During the attack, the gunmen reportedly killed one resident and abducted seven others.
Residents said neighbouring communities, including Dokan Mai-Jama’a, Kyauta and Dan Hono II, had also witnessed repeated attacks by bandits this year amid worsening insecurity in the area.
Sources within the community disclosed that the victims returned home on Thursday to an emotional reception from residents who had waited anxiously for their release.
Findings revealed that negotiations were held with the kidnappers before the victims regained freedom.
The sources further claimed that ransom payments and motorcycles were allegedly delivered to the abductors as part of efforts to secure the release of the captives.
It was also gathered that one of the pregnant women had earlier been released about three weeks ago, while the remaining victims regained freedom on Thursday.
The attackers were also accused of storming a phone charging centre during the invasion, where they allegedly killed a young man identified as Abdullahi Lawal, popularly known as “Kurma.”
Efforts to get confirmation from the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful as the command’s spokesperson, ASP Mansir Hassan, could not be reached for comments as of the time of filing this report.