Two women deliver newborns in kidnappers’ den seven weeks after deadly raid that claimed elderly man’s life

Two women abducted alongside six members of their family in Takatsaba village, Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, have given birth while still in captivity, seven weeks after a brutal bandit attack on their home.

One delivered a baby boy, the other a baby girl—both born inside the kidnappers’ hideout.

A relative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recounted how armed bandits stormed the household, killed an elderly man, orphaned several children, and whisked away five women and three men. The attackers reportedly demanded a N10 million ransom for their release.

The family has managed to raise and pay over N8 million but remains unable to meet the full demand, leaving five victims still trapped in the bandits’ den.

Three captives—including a nursing mother—escaped and are currently receiving medical attention in Zurmi, Zamfara State, and at a health facility in Sabon Birni. However, three young men and the two women who recently gave birth remain in captivity under harsh and uncertain conditions.

The distraught relative appealed for the urgent deployment of “brave security personnel” to vulnerable border communities repeatedly targeted by criminal gangs.

Meanwhile, the Sokoto State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said the command was unaware of the incident, noting that no formal report had been filed.

The ordeal underscores the worsening humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s Northwest, where rural communities continue to endure deadly raids, mass abductions, and ransom demands amid persistent security challenges.