Terrorists release video of kidnapped bride, 62 others
TERRORISTS have released a short video of 63 persons, including a bride, who were abducted last Thursday in Sabuwa Local Council of Katsina State.
The victims were kidnapped while escorting the bride to her matrimonial home.
Said to have first been sent to a relative of one of the victims, the video, which surfaced online on Tuesday, showed three terrorists ( one in police uniform, a boy in military camouflage and another in a long coat) wielding automatic weapons.
In the video, the victims, mostly women and children, were seen standing behind the terrorists.
The terrorists threatened to marry off the bride should ransom not be paid for her and the rest of the victims. They also said they had the driver of the vehicle conveying the bride, her relations and her maid on the day they were abducted.
One of the terrorists said of the abducted persons: "They are here as you can see them. You people should stop lying that they are 53. We have 63 of them with us, including the driver. The bride is here too. See her."
Another terrorist, who filmed the video, panned his camera around to show the victims, with the bride standing at the far right. He said: "This is the bride. We are going to marry her out again if the ransom is not paid." The video ended with the victims crying and begging the public and family members to rescue them, with one of the terrorists heard in the background asking them to be more audible.
Meanwhile, the bride's family has said the terrorists demanded N100 million ransom before releasing the abductees.
The bride’s uncle, Haruna Abdullahi, said the terrorists called demanding the amount, but that he told them they ha ve n o such money to give.
Abdullahi said the terrorists had made the video in defiance of Governor Dikko Radda’s vow to rescue the victims.
He commended the governor for personally coming to the community to sympathise with them over the incident.