In the absence of telecommunications in some parts of Sokoto State, suspected bandits operating in the Eastern Senatorial District of the state have allegedly written a letter to a monarch in Burkusuma in Sabon-Birni local government demanding for ransom to secure the release of twenty persons who were kidnapped from two communities in the area.
The letter was allegedly written in Hausa language by one of the victims kidnapped by the bandits and addressed to Sarkin Rafin Burkusuma, the district head of the area.
The bandits, in the letter, informed the monarch that the victims kidnapped from Gatawa and Burkusuma are all in good health and doing great with them.
They demanded a ransom of twenty million naira to be paid for the release of the kidnapped victims.
The kidnapped victims, whose names were all written in the letter, consist of nine males, eight females and two children,
One of the victims was said to be released to deliver the letter to Gatawa through the Sarkin Rakin Burkusuma
Tribune Online gathered that the bandits have resorted to sending letters to families of kidnapped victims since the shutdown of Telecommunication Services in the area.
Efforts to reach Sokoto State Police Command for confirmation was unsuccessful as the phone of the Command’s PPRO, ASP Sanusi Abubakar was unreachable as at the time of filing this report
It will be recalled that the police in Sokoto had earlier confirmed through its spokesman that bandits attacked the village earlier in the week.
Some of the residents who spoke to our correspondent, however, said the suspected bandits attacked Gangara and Gatawa all in Sabon Birni local government where they claimed over twenty persons were killed and twenty seven persons were abducted.
In a contrary opinion, the Sokoto Dtate Police Command confirmed the killing of four persons to in Gangara town, but did not give detail on the attack in Gatawa.
It was gathered that letter writing was said to be a new twist to the operations of the bandits introduced following the shutdown of telecommunication services in the area.
