Tragedy has again struck in Abuja as kidnappers reportedly killed a nursing mother, Christiana Igba, and her mother, Maria Agbo, after spending two weeks with them in their yet-to-be-known hideout.
After killing the nursing mother and her mother, who came on a visit to Abuja for postnatal care of her grandchild popularly known as ‘Omugwo’, the kidnappers freed the slain mother’s one-month-old baby.
Christiana, who was childless for over 10 years, according to findings, gave birth about a month ago.
The bandits reportedly gave the sick child to another female victim to take to the hospital with the phone number of the husband of the deceased nursing mother to enable the hospital to contact him.
The deceased husband, Simon Igba, a Nigerian Police Officer, who lives near the Mopol Barrack in Dei- Dei, was said to have slumped following the sad news of the death of his wife and mother-in-law after spending two weeks in the den of the kidnappers.
A report in The Nation on Monday said the bandits, who had reportedly intensified onslaught in recent times in the Dei Dei Community in Abuja, invaded the residence of John Igba and kidnapped his wife and her mother, who came for postnatal care.
The neighbour of the victims, Adejo Jacob, who recounted the incident, said the abductors had demanded N90 million ransom before the tragic murder of the victims.
He said: “The late Christiana gave birth recently after being barren for more than ten years. Her mother came to Abuja from Benue State for the postnatal and to celebrate with the family over the newborn.
“The kidnappers earlier asked the husband to pay N90 million ransom as the only condition to release his wife and his mother-in-law.
“A day before they were killed, the kidnappers contacted the husband, and they both negotiated and settled for N10 million.
“The kidnappers asked him to make the money available before 10 am the following day, which was last Thursday.
“Before the agreed time, the kidnappers called the husband to inform him that the one-month-old baby was ill.
“There was another victim that the kidnappers released that day, so they gave her the baby and asked her to take the newborn to a hospital.
“The kidnappers gave her the phone number of the baby’s father and asked her to call when she got to the hospital.
“The woman did as she was instructed. The hospital called Igba, and he went there and recovered his baby. After a few hours, we received a report that Christiana and her mother had been killed.
“Their lifeless bodies were dumped, and some police officers went there to recover them. They have been deposited at the Kubwa General Hospital.”
A relative, one Prince Victor Omonu, also posted on his Facebook page three days ago how painful it is for him to have lost a relative.
He said: “It is a sad world. My relative came to Abuja to celebrate the birth of her grandchild, she was kidnapped alongside her daughter and newborn. Just got the news now that she and daughter have been murdered this morning. What a sad world. The baby is still alive though.”
It was gathered that the residents, still in shock over the unprecedented murder, are living in fear as nobody can say who may be the next.
All efforts to get the reaction of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josphine Adeh were futile as calls and text messages put across to her were not responded to.