No fewer than 74 abducted persons from Wanzamai Village in Tsafe Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State who were abducted by armed bandits have regained their freedom.
According to a resident of the troubled village, the bandits released the hostages, killing two and holding numerous more in captivity.
The captives were reportedly driven to the village and transported to a private hospital for medical treatment, as many of them were unable to walk after their ordeal with the kidnappers.
They were reportedly released after paying an N6 million ransom to their kidnappers.
On April 7, armed bandits abducted 185 persons from Wanzamai Village in Zamfara State, mostly women and children, and demanded N50 million ransom.
The bandits also asked authorities in the state to withdraw soldiers deployed to the community as part of the conditions for the release of 85 victims.
The state Commissioner for Security, DIG Mamman Tsafe (rtd), insisted that the state government would not withdraw the military personnel deployed to Wanzamai village.
The community leaders of Wanzamai had earlier released the names of the kidnapped residents in a bid to counter the state police command’s claim that only nine persons were abducted in the village.