An abducted Kaduna family has appealed for help after bandits demanded N300 million for their release, with a video showing the father holding his crying six-month-old daughter while a gunman points a firearm at him.
The victim, Ahmed Abubakar Zakka, was abducted alongside his wife and infant daughter when gunmen attacked Alrahus Estate in Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
In the 40-second video circulating on social media, Zakka identified himself in Hausa and appealed to Nigerians to help secure their freedom.
“My name is Ahmed Abubakar Zakka. I’m seeking assistance. I was abducted on Monday around 11:30pm, myself, wife and our daughter at Millennium City.
“Please, we are seeking for assistance because they are demanding N300 million. In the name of God, we are seeking for assistance,” he said.
The video showed Zakka holding the crying infant, while his wife, seated beside him, could be heard pleading for their lives.
The family was abducted on October 6, 2026, when armed men reportedly stormed Alrahus Estate at about 11:30pm and went from house to house in search of victims.
According to reports by Daily Trust, the attackers broke into a neighbouring house before abducting Zakka, his wife and their baby.
The gunmen also reportedly abducted a pregnant woman whose husband, Abdulladir Bello, was away in Abuja at the time.
Bello said his wife called him around 11:30pm to alert him that some people were attempting to force their way into their compound.
He said he tried to contact the police but could not get through, prompting him to reach out to the military, which deployed personnel to the area.
Bello later confirmed that his pregnant wife had been taken and said the abductors contacted him to demand ransom.
The latest incident has heightened concerns over recurring attacks and kidnappings in Millennium City and neighbouring communities on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis.
Barely five days before the attack, bandits reportedly killed a man identified as Sikiru and abducted his wife, Hafsat Sikiru, their 14-year-old son, Abdulsalam Sikiru, and six other people in the PW Babban Saura area.
Hafsat and her son were still in captivity, with the abductors demanding a ransom the family reportedly could not afford.
Reacting to Zakka’s video on Monday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called on security agencies to act swiftly to rescue the family and other Nigerians being held by kidnappers.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), described the footage in a Facebook post as a painful reminder of the insecurity threatening lives and tearing families apart across the country.
“No Nigerian should have to plead for their life or the safety of their family in the hands of criminals. The thought of an infant caught in this ordeal is especially heartbreaking. I urge the relevant security agencies to act swiftly and decisively to secure the safe release of Ahmed Zakka, his wife, their child and every other Nigerian still held in captivity,” he said.
The former vice president said the incident had compounded the difficulties faced by Nigerians already struggling with the rising cost of living.
He noted that the increasing costs of food, transportation and other essentials had placed households under pressure, warning that insecurity further worsened their hardship by disrupting livelihoods and imposing emotional and financial burdens on affected families.
Atiku urged the Federal Government to move beyond assurances and implement sustained measures to rescue abducted persons, protect vulnerable communities and dismantle criminal networks.
“The government must move beyond assurances and deliver an effective, sustained response: rescue those in captivity, protect vulnerable communities and dismantle the networks responsible for these crimes. Every Nigerian deserves to live, work and raise a family without the constant fear of violence,” he said.
He expressed sympathy with the Zakka family and others whose relatives remained in captivity, stressing that protecting citizens must remain a primary responsibility of government.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the Zakka family and all families enduring the trauma of kidnapping. The protection of every Nigerian life must remain an overriding responsibility of government,” Atiku added.
