A Kaduna family abducted by bandits barely a week ago has appealed for public assistance as their captors demand N300 million ransom for their release.
The appeal came on Monday following the emergence of a 40-second video showing Ahmed Abubakar Zakka holding his six-month-old daughter while pleading for help, with his wife beside him and an armed man pointing a gun at him.
Zakka, his wife and their infant daughter were abducted on October 6, 2026, when bandits invaded Alrahus Estate in Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Speaking in Hausa in the video circulating on social media, Zakka identified himself and appealed to Nigerians to help secure their freedom.
“My name is Ahmed Abubakar Zakka. I’m seeking assistance. I was abducted on Monday around 11:30pm, myself, wife and our daughter at Millennium City.
“Please, we are seeking for assistance because they are demanding N300 million. In the name of God, we are seeking for assistance,” he said.
The incident was part of a series of abductions reported in Millennium City and neighbouring communities on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis, raising fresh concerns about the safety of residents.
Reports indicated that the attackers stormed Alrahus Estate at about 11:30pm on October 6 and moved from house to house in search of victims.
Apart from the Zakka family, the gunmen reportedly abducted a pregnant woman whose husband, Abdulladir Bello, was away in Abuja when the incident occurred.
Bello had said his wife called him around 11:30pm to report that some people were attempting to force their way into their compound.
He said he tried contacting the police but could not get through before reaching out to the military, which deployed personnel to the area.
He later confirmed that his pregnant wife had been taken and that the abductors had demanded ransom.
The abductions came barely five days after another attack in the PW Baban Saura area, where bandits reportedly killed a man identified as Sikiru and abducted his wife, Hafsat, their 14-year-old son, Abdulsalam, and six other persons.
Hafsat and her son were still being held captive, with their abductors reportedly demanding a ransom beyond the family’s means.
Reacting to the video on Monday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar urged security agencies to act swiftly to rescue the Zakka family and other Nigerians in captivity.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), described the video as a painful reminder of the insecurity threatening lives and tearing families apart across the country.
“No Nigerian should have to plead for their life or the safety of their family in the hands of criminals,” he said, calling for the safe release of Zakka, his wife, their child and other abducted persons.
He added that insecurity was worsening the hardship faced by Nigerians already struggling with the rising cost of food, transportation and other essentials.
Atiku urged the government to move beyond assurances by sustaining efforts to rescue abducted persons, protect vulnerable communities and dismantle criminal networks responsible for the attacks.
He also expressed sympathy with the Zakka family and others whose relatives remained in captivity, stressing that protecting citizens must remain a priority of government.
Credit: Leadership