Gunmen have demanded a total sum of N195 to release a Catholic priest abducted in Plateau State as well as 29 wedding guests seized in Sokoto.

The assailants asked for N50 million to free Rev James Kantoma of St Anthony’s Parish, who was abducted from his residence on Sunday at Angware community in Jos East council of Plateau State.

The state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev Father Polycarp Lubo said the abductors have made contacts and demanded a ransom of N50 million.

In Sokoto, the secretary-general of the Phone Sellers Association, Nasiru Musa, said Tuesday that the gunmen, who abducted 29 wedding guests on Saturday, have demanded N145 million as their ransom.

Many of the hostages are mobile phone dealers at the Bebeji Communication Market in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State.

They were abducted on Saturday evening while returning from the wedding of one of their colleagues in Tambuwal in Sokoto.

Musa said, “The bandits called twice on Monday morning to inform us of their stand regarding our members that are with them”

“They said we should bring N5 million for each of the twenty-nine persons with them which in total is N145 million before they can be released.”

Immediately after the abduction, it was thought that 50 people were abducted but several of them have returned home. Seven others were rescued by vigilantes operating in the area.

The chairman of the association, Mustapha Khalifa, said that some of them who escaped during the abduction are receiving treatment at the Talata Mafara General Hospital.

The bandits had ambushed two buses conveying the wedding guests back to Gusau in Dogon Awo immediately after Bimasa village in the Tureta local government area of Sokoto. (The Nation)

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