October 02, (THEWILL) – Suspected bandits operating in the Eastern Senatorial District of Sokoto State have allegedly written a letter to a monarch in Burkusuma, Sabon-Birni Local Government Area of the State, demanding a ransom to secure the release of twenty persons who were kidnapped from two communities in the area.
The letter was allegedly written in Hausa language by one of the victims and addressed to Sarkin Rafin Burkusuma, the district head of the area.
The bandits, in the letter, informed the monarch that the victims kidnapped from Gatawa and Burkusuma are all in good health and doing great.
They demanded a ransom of twenty million naira to be paid for the release of the kidnapped victims.
The victims, whose names were all written in the letter, consist of nine males, eight females and two children.
One of the victims was allegedly released to deliver the letter to Gatawa through the Sarkin Rakin Burkusuma
THEWILL gathered that the bandits have resorted to sending letters to families of kidnapped victims since the shutdown of telecommunication services in the area.
Efforts to reach the Sokoto State Police Command for confirmation was unsuccessful as the phone of the Command’s PPRO, ASP Sanusi Abubakar was unreachable as at the time of filing this report
The police in Sokoto had earlier confirmed through its spokesman that bandits attacked the village earlier in the week.
Some of the residents had said the bandits attacked Gangara and Gatawa, in Sabon Birni local government Area of the State. The bandits were alleged to have killed over twenty persons and abducted twenty seven.
However, the State Police Command confirmed that only four persons were killed in Gangara town, but did not give details of the attack in Gatawa.
