According to Kaura, the kidnappers received ransom money following a period of negotiation. On Saturday, 18 captives—including 17 women and a young boy—were released. Sixteen of them were subsequently hospitalized due to injuries. The remaining 38 were killed by the abductors, and their bodies are unlikely to be recovered, as the return of corpses is rare in such cases.

“What happened was that the bandits demanded ransom money, and after some back-and-forth, they were given what they asked for,” Kaura explained. “Only they know why they killed them. They are senseless and heartless people.”

Despite the 2022 legislation criminalizing ransom payments and introducing a minimum 15-year prison term for violators, enforcement remains weak. No arrests have been made under the law. Additionally, the law prescribes the death penalty for abductors if their victims die.

The ongoing insecurity in Zamfara and neighboring states has been exacerbated by weak state response, which leaves families with little choice but to negotiate with kidnappers directly. Many feel compelled to pay ransoms to save their loved ones, even as the practice grows more dangerous.

The practice of mass abductions by bandit groups has become increasingly common in northern Nigeria, targeting villages, schools, and travelers for ransom. Though Nigerian authorities have launched repeated security operations, killings and abductions persist across rural areas.