Senator Sani Musa (APC Niger East), raised the alarm Friday in Abuja on alleged abduction of 70 people in his constituency by gun wielding kidnappers.
Specifically, the Senator in a personally signed statement, condemned the cold blooded murder of innocent villagers in Paikoro, Shiroro and Rafi local governments in the constituency.
He lamented that not less than 20 lives had been lost to bandits attacks while between 50 and 70 villagers had been kidnapped and taken to captivity by their abductors who also destroyed their houses and made away with valuable items including money.
He also lamented that women and girls were being raped by the kidnappers.
He added that the villages mostly affected were Kwagana, and Kaffinkoro wards in the Paikoro Local Government Area, Sabo Kabula in Munya LGA and Pandogari ward in Rafi LGA.
The insecurity in the senatorial district he said, attained alarming proportion in the last few weeks.
In addition, the Senator said the gunmen were demanding various sums of money, ranging from N1.5m to N4m from the beleaguered families of their victims, as ransom.
He noted with regret that the criminals, after collecting the huge sums of money still failed to release their captives.
“They are being kept under the rain and sun. We are calling on the Federal Government to immediately take steps to rescue those in the custody of the gunmen so that they can begin to live normal lives especially now that we are in the rainy season when those kidnapped are supposed to be on their farms doing what they know how best to do to earn a livelihood”, he said.
He tasked the security agencies to live up to their responsibilities by combing the forests to free those detained there, while also appreciating the efforts of our security agencies.
He commiserated with the families of the captives assuring that “very soon their loved ones will regain their freedom”