Eight of 11 residents abducted from Awon community in Southern Kaduna have reportedly died in captivity after six months, including a mother who gave birth in the bandits' camp and her two daughters. The victims were among those kidnapped when armed men invaded the community on April 20, 2026, and the abductors initially demanded ₦300 million and 23 motorcycles for their release.
Mother and children die after birth in captivity
Joy Samuel, one of the abducted residents, reportedly died on August 28 after giving birth in the bandits' camp. Her newborn baby also died. Her 14-year-old daughter, who had been kidnapped alongside her, later reportedly died after becoming critically ill, and her three-year-old daughter, Silvia Samuel, has now also been reported dead.
According to reports, the deaths were disclosed by journalist Reuben Buhari in a social media post on Thursday, October 22, 2026. The bandit leader known as Yellow One Million allegedly confirmed the deaths to a woman who recently escaped from captivity.
Other victims die from illness and starvation
Two other victims, 34-year-old Yusuf Bawa and his five-year-old son, also reportedly died from illness and severe hunger while being held by the abductors. The reported deaths bring the number of victims who have died in captivity to eight out of the 11 people abducted from Awon.
One person reportedly escaped, leaving two others still in captivity. The abductors had initially demanded ₦300 million and 23 motorcycles for the captives' release, but they reportedly rejected an offer of several million naira from the rural community and threatened to deny the captives food until their demands were met.
Ransom reduced for remaining captives
The ransom demand has reportedly since been reduced to ₦9 million and four motorcycles for the release of the remaining captives. Their abductors were said to have acknowledged that the captives were in extremely poor condition because of illness and starvation.
The case has drawn renewed attention to the plight of families in rural communities who face prolonged captivity and ransom demands after abductions. However, the reported deaths had not been publicly confirmed by authorities at the time of publication. The circumstances surrounding the deaths and the condition of the two remaining captives also remained unclear.
