Residents of Sabon Layi Babban Mutu in Katsina State have reportedly secured the release of several kidnapped villagers without paying ransom, following a rare standoff in which locals and vigilantes apprehended the families of the armed bandits.
According to a circulating video narrated in a mix of Hausa and English, the abductors had initially demanded N100 million per hostage, a sum far beyond the community’s reach.
However, the situation shifted when locals allegedly captured the bandits’ close relatives, identified as their parents and brothers, forcing the criminals to negotiate from a weakened position.
The video seen by AFRIPOST claims the bandits eventually released all captives without receiving any payment.
Moreover, each freed victim was said to have been handed N30,000 for transport fare, after which the bandits’ detained relatives were also released by the community.
The unusual incident has drawn widespread attention, especially as ransom-for-ransom exchanges remain extremely rare in Nigeria’s Northwest, where armed groups frequently carry out mass abductions and impose heavy financial burdens on rural communities.
However, the account has not been verified by the police or government authorities. Katsina is one of several northern states grappling with persistent banditry, and unconfirmed narratives often circulate amid heightened fear and limited official communication.
State security agencies have yet to issue a statement on the alleged hostage exchange, leaving questions about the circumstances surrounding the release, the identities of those involved, and the potential implications for future confrontations between rural communities and armed groups.