Two weeks after, terrorists who attacked Ariko community in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Easter Sunday have demanded a ransom of N1 billion before they could release the residents abducted during the assault.

In a statement on Monday, the Concerned Ariko Youths, through their Chairman, Linus Audu, and Secretary, Kefas Likita,  described the incident as a tragic attack on innocent worshippers during a solemn period of reflection.

The statement reads inter alia:  “In the course of what should have been a solemn period of worship and reflection, armed bandits invaded our community, resulting in the loss of innocent lives and the abduction of several residents.

“Among those kidnapped are two elderly blind men, two women whose husbands were killed during the attack alongside their children, several young children, two critically ill women, and entire families comprising husbands, wives, and their children.

“The situation is further worsened by the demand of an outrageous ransom of one billion naira, an amount far beyond the reach of this community. It is neither reasonable nor humane to expect affected families, already devastated by loss and trauma, to meet such a demand,” the statement added.

On the ransom, the group said there was no way they could gather such amount of money. They urged the Federal government to move fast and put an end to the insecurity ravaging the nation.

The youths said that the continued captivity of the victims represents a violation of their fundamental human rights, including the right to life, dignity, and personal liberty.

They appealed to the Kachia Local Government leadership to collaborate with security agencies to secure the release of the abducted victims.

“We urge swift, transparent, and effective action to rescue the abducted victims unconditionally and bring the perpetrators to justice. Continued delay will only deepen the suffering of affected families and erode public confidence,” the statement said.

It has been two weeks since the abduction and there appears no hope for their rescue.