A distraught husband whose pregnant wife was abducted alongside him in Aviele community, near Auchi, Edo State, has issued a desperate plea for help as their captors reportedly threaten to sexually assault the woman unless the family meets their ransom demand.
In a viral video seen by SaharaReporters on Thursday, the man, visibly shaken and covered in dirt, appealed to authorities and the public for urgent intervention. He revealed that the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of N50 million, an amount far beyond the reach of their struggling family.
“Please, we are begging for help. My wife is pregnant, and they are threatening to violate her. Our family can only raise N7 million out of the N50 million ransom. Please, we are pleading for assistance,” he said in the video, speaking in pidgin English.
Another voice, who identified himself as the man’s brother, provided additional details, saying, “This is where my brother and his wife were kidnapped last night, around seven to eight o’clock.”
“He was coming back from town when they took him and his wife. Someone at home saw Fulani men taking them into the bush. This is the bush where he saw them. Our younger brother called us, but by the time we got here, they were already gone. These are their footprints,” he said.
Civic technology platform MonITNG has raised the alarm over the abduction and the kidnappers’ demand for N50 million as ransom.
The platform lamented that the growing wave of kidnappings has left communities across Edo State in fear, warning that “Edo people can no longer sleep with both eyes closed.”
MonITNG further noted that rural communities and major routes have become unsafe as criminal elements, many operating from forest corridors, continue to terrorize residents. The group called on Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholoto deploy immediate security reinforcements and intensify operations within forest areas to flush out the gangs.
“This is becoming a frightening pattern across our communities and must not continue. Our forests, farmlands, and major roads have become unsafe, giving room for criminal elements hiding under the guise of herdsmen to terrorize innocent people,” the statement read.
The platform also appealed to the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services, and other security agencies to intervene immediately, stressing the urgency of the situation.
Activist Harrison Gwamnishu confirmed on Thursday that the kidnappers had sent a video to the family, reiterating the ransom demand. He called on both the Federal and Edo state governments to act swiftly to restore peace to affected communities.
Watch video:
