Seventeen residents of Ibeto community in Magama Local Government Area of Niger State have regained their freedom after 87 days in bandits’ captivity, though one victim died during the ordeal.
The victims were abducted on October 1, 2025 Nigeria’s Independence Day and were released on Thursday, December 25, 2025, family members and colleagues confirmed on Facebook.
Among those abducted was a lawyer, Isyaku Muhammad Danjuma, who had posted a warning on Facebook about bandit movements just hours before his kidnapping.
He had alerted locals about the movement of bandits from Uccu towards Ibeto with a herd of stolen cattle. It was alleged that his location may have been leaked to the attackers by informants.
During the October 1 raid, four people were killed and nine others sustained injuries when heavily armed bandits stormed the community in the early hours of Nigeria’s Independence Day.
The bandits reportedly demanded N200 million ransom initially, but later reduced it to N80 million after negotiations.
Witnesses and family members said the bandits came in large numbers with heavy weapons “bigger than what security operatives would carry” and deliberately targeted prominent residents.
The attackers abducted multiple residents; early reports put it at nine abductees, later detailed accounts confirmed 17 people were taken.
The release brought relief mixed with grief to the Ibeto community, as one of the abducted victims died in captivity during the 87-day ordeal.
The community had already lost four residents during the initial attack, bringing the total death toll from the incident to five, with nine others injured.