The UK government has strongly denounced the execution of 38 abducted residents in Banga village, Zamfara State, despite a N50 million ransom payment.
Gill Lever, the Acting British High Commissioner to Nigeria, condemned the tragedy as a “unspeakable crime” that harms mental and physical health and impedes national economic growth.
“It damages people’s mental and physical well‑being, retards economic progress and we must bring an end to this,” she said.
Lever expressed sympathies to the victims’ families and the people of Zamfara State, demanding for immediate action to prevent such bloodshed.
The statements were delivered during a briefing under the State Expansion Program for the Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell, a collaborative security project between the UK government and Nigeria’s National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
It was gathered that the killings in Banga village occurred after armed bandits led by a notorious kingpin, Dan Sadiya, abducted 56 residents. Despite receiving N50 million in ransom, the assailants released only 18 victims and killed the remaining 38.
