Nigeria kidnappers kill 35 hostages despite receiving ransom

In northwestern Nigeria, tragedy has struck again. Bandits in Zamfara State have killed 33 people they kidnapped in February despite receiving a ransom of over $33,000, according to local residents and officials.

The victims were among 51 villagers abducted from Banga village in the Kaura Namoda district during a violent raid that left two dead. After months of anguish, families paid the ransom in two instalments hoping to secure their loved ones' release.

But only 18 captives returned last Friday. The freed hostages revealed that 33 others had been killed by their captors.

“They took our money and slaughtered the rest,” said local resident Altine Bawa.

The region has long been plagued by heavily armed gangs evolving from herder-farmer tensions into full-blown organized crime, thriving in neglected rural communities where government presence is weak or nonexistent.

Local official Mannir Haidara confirmed some deaths but stopped short of confirming the toll.

The massacre highlights the growing lawlessness and the deepening humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s northwest where communities remain at the mercy of armed criminals, and justice is in short supply.