The people of Jangeme village in the Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State are living in fears following a threat by bandits to set the village on fire if the villagers fail to pay the sum of N7m.
This was because the seven people of the village kidnapped by the bandits last week were able to escape when negotiation on how to pay for the ransom was going on.
Based on this, the bandits have sent a strong warning to the villagers demanding for N7m for those who have escaped from their captivity as ransom or set the village on fire.
A member of the community Malam Bashari Jangeme, told our correspondent that many people had deserted the village for fear of the unknown.
He said, “Most of us have decided to move out of the village because we know that the bandits will attack as at any time as we cannot pay the money they are demanding.”
One of the escaped victims, Aminu Sarki, said they escaped when the bandits were asleep, adding that they trekked for two days before they reached the main road.
All efforts to talk to the state Police Public Relations Officer SP Mohammed Shehu, failed.
Phone calls and text messages to his mobile phone were neither picked nor replied to.