Follow Us on Google
From John Adams, Minna
As the security challenges in Niger State continue to take it toll on the people of the state, a 65-year-old farmer, Mr. Mathew Kabulu, is contemplating committing suicide over his inability to raise N2.4 million ransom to secure the release of his seven daughters being held by bandits for 11 months.
Mathew Kabulu, from Galape village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State and his entire household got their own share of the insecurity in the area on January 5, when bandits, in their numbers, and led by a notorious gangster, popularly known as Jack Bros, invaded Galape community, targeting only his family.
When Mathew heard of the invasion by the bandits, the entire family escaped to a nearby hill in the community but they were chased by the bandits with their motorcycles and 11 members of his family were kidnapped, including his pregnant daughter in-law, and whisked away to Zamfara State.
Mathew said he could not explain why his family was the target of the bandits on that faithful day as that was the only operation carried out by them in the community of about 200 inhabitants.
Mathew said barely one week after the abduction of 11 members of his family, the bandits demanded N20 million for the release of their victims, threatening to kill or convert them to Islam and marry them out to bandits.
Mathew, who spoke to our correspondent in Zumba community where he was going round to solicit for financial assistance to get his daughters released, said initially the bandits demanded N20 million as ransom but after much plea, the amount was brought down to N15 million.
“I was able to raise N12 million within the last 10 months after selling my house, all my animals, farm produce, N3 million loan from people and donation from relations and kind hearted community members and gave to the bandits.
“After that, they released only the two boys among them, holding back my daughters, eight of them, saying that they will not release them until the balance of N3 million is paid.”
Mathew disclosed that his daughter in-law, who was heavily pregnant at the time of her abduction, was set free by the bandits when it was almost time for her delivery, while her husband eventually regained freedom after the payment of the N12 million.
After selling everything he has laboured for to raise the N12 million, Mathew said hope is lost as he could not raise more money, and no help is coming from anywhere.
According to him, feeding remains a great challenge to him, his heartbroken wife and the remaining children.
For eleven months now, life has being worthless to Mathew, the center can no longer hold as the entire family is in ruins. Hope is gradually fading away and the 65- year-old peasant farmer is contemplating suicide as he can not watch his daughters being forcefully married out without his consent.
He pointed out that all efforts to get financial assistance from the local government area chairman, who he said had earlier promised to assist him, could not yield any result after months of visiting his office in Kuta, the headquarters of the LGA, which is about 100 kilometers from the community.
He said: “I visited his office more than 30 times until I became tired, so I stopped. He is not even responding to my phone calls.
When the chairman failed to assist me, I tried to reach out to the wife of the governor, Dr. Amina Abubakar Sani Bello, as the mother of the state, and because of her passion for the girl-child in the state but there was nobody to take me to her.
“I tried to reach our elected representatives from the area through phone calls because I can not see them, but none of them is picking my calls. I am completely frustrated right now. I don’t know why am still living on this earth.”
Mathew, who could not hold back tears as he further narrated his frustrations to our correspondent, disclosed that last month when security agents jammed network in Zamfara State, his eldest daughter with the bandits was released to come and tell her father (himself) to bring the N2.4million, which is the balance of the ransom.
In a sorrowful voice, he said: “They released one of them, Victoria, the eldest one, who is 30- years-old and asked her to come back home and tell us to pay the remaining amount or they will convert her sisters to Islam and marry them out to bandits in December.
“So, I feel like killing myself right now because I don’t know where to go and get this money from. I have sold everything that I have to pay them N12 million.”
Mathew, who is currently staying with a family member with his wife and his remaining children after selling his house, said he has concluded plan to relocate from his ancestral village but not until his children regain their freedom.
“I have made up my mind to leave the village because I don’t think there will be an end to this Insecurity but now I can not do that until I see my children are released.
“I am appealing to the wife of the governor and other well meaning Nigerians to come to my rescue. Let my children return home safely. I am finished,” he said.
However, the daughter who was set free by the bandits, while recounting her experiences in captivity, told our correspondent that they were taken through the bush on motorcycles to Zamfara State, a journey she said took them three days without food except sachet water.
She narrated: “We slept in the bush for two days and they did not give us food but only water. They carried two of us in a motorcycle and if night comes, they will stop and tell us that we will sleep here today. They will go to nearby village to get fuel for their motorcycles.
“They did not beat us and they did not touch us. When it is time to sleep, they will separate us from the men until we arrived at their camp in Zamfara State where we met other people, including women and their children
“When we arrived, they asked us to go and join the women. Everyday, they will select those that will cook, and it is once in a day. We only eat beans with oil and noddles.
“The first day that we arrived, we met over 50 people, including women and children. When your relations pay your ransom, they will tell you that you are free today because your people have paid and they will take you.
“When they released people, they will bring another set. We were remaining 30, including my sisters before I left there. They carried me on a motorcycle until we got to a place, they dropped me there and asked me to go.”
