The United Kingdom government has condemned the killing of 38 kidnapped residents in Banga village, in Zamfara State, even after the payment of N50 million as ransom.
Gill Lever, the Acting British High Commissioner to Nigeria, described the tragedy as a “unspeakable crime” that harms mental and physical health and impedes national economic growth.
“It damages people’s mental and physical well‑being, retards economic progress and we must bring an end to this,” she said.
Lever expressed sympathies to the victims’ families and the people of Zamfara State, demanding for immediate action to prevent such bloodshed.
The communique were delivered during a briefing under the State Expansion Programme for the Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell, a collaborative security project between the UK government and Nigeria’s National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
It was gathered that the killings in Banga village happened after armed bandits led by a notorious kingpin, Dan Sadiya, kidnapped 56 residents. Despite receiving N50 million in ransom, the kidnappers released only 18 victims and killed the remaining 38.