By Nasir Zango
Kidnappers operating along Abuja-Jere road in Kaduna State have killed a trader, Bello Dalhatu, after his family raised only N52,000 out of the N5million ransom they demanded.
The late Bello was stopped and marched into the bush around 8:00pm on January 2 by the kidnappers while travelling to Abuja alongside his two friends.
The driver of the car, who unknown to the kidnappers was the richest of the trio, was allowed to go and report the abduction to their families, while the other friend escaped when they were being led into the den.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that the kidnappers first demanded N10million and the family said they are poor and could not raise that amount even if they sold out all their property.
When the kidnappers called following day, they slashed the ransom to N5million, but the family said they were only able to raise N52,000. “What is N52,000? Get any old woman to give that and eat food!” the kidnappers snarled, insisting on getting N5million or killing him.
When the kidnappers called again the next day and demanded the ransom, the family said they were selling some of their belongings and going cap in hand to family and friends for donation.
“The least we can collect is N5million. If you don’t have that we will kill him,” the kidnappers insisted and hung up.
That was the last Bello’s distraught wife and brother, Sadiq Dalhatu, heard from the kidnappers. Day after day, calls through the line were not getting through.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that among the captives held by the kidnappers alongside the late Bello were family members of a former senator from Sokoto State, who were freed after payment of N10million ransom to the kidnappers.
When the late Bello’s family heard about the former senator’s family abducted along the same road were released after payment of ransom last week, they went with the late Bello’s picture to them to find out whether Bello was kidnapped by the same gang.
After looking at the picture, one of the released teenagers who suffered fractures exclaimed: “This is Bello! They killed him when his family failed to raise the money. They said if they released him without paying ransom, he would go and tell people that he was released without money, and that would discourage people from paying”
The late Bello Dalhatu, 35, left behind a wife, two children and aged parents.
