Twenty seven traders of Kantin Kwari Textiles Market in Kano have been kidnapped by gunmen on their way to Aba town in Abia State.
The traders were traveling to Aba to buy textile materials when they were abducted by gunmen on Sunday in Okene, Kogi State, OBSERVERS TIMES report.
The spokesman of the market, Mansur Haruna, confirmed the incident, saying however that not all of the 27 traders that are from Kantinkwari market.
According to DAILY NIGERIAN, among the kidnapped traders, there were others from Kofar Wambai, Sabongari and other markets that joined those from Kantinkwari for the trip.
Mr Haruna disclosed that the leadership of the largest textile market in Nigeria had sought for God’s intervention as it constituted a committee for prayers at mosques and residences for the safe release of the kidnapped traders.
The market spokesman also called on the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje and other concerned authorities to intervene to secure a safe release of the traders, noting that most of them are small scale entrepreneurs that run their business on not more than N400,000 capital.
“It is sad that most of them are small scale traders as some of them don’t even have more than N400,000 capital.
“Like those ones where do you expect them to be able to raise the demanded ransom?”
Lawan Garba, a trader in the market, said there had been communication between the families of the kidnapped traders and the kidnappers, adding that they initially demanded N45 million for a single person.
He further stated that it was now agreed that N27 million should be paid as ransom to secure the release of the 27 kidnapped traders.
“They initially called the family of one of the kidnapped traders and demanded for N45 million. But, now we have gathered that N27 million was agreed to be paid for all of them. That means N1 million for each one of them.
“As I speak to you now, a somber atmosphere has covered the market. Everybody is worried about the incident. I would have been among the kidnapped traders because the trip was initially arranged with me. I was not able to join them because my money is incomplete,” the source added.