Renowned Sokoto-based cleric Sheikh Bashar Danfili has disclosed the harrowing ordeal of six of his relatives who were kidnapped by bandits. The cleric took to social media to reveal that the victims, including a man, his mother, stepmother, two wives, and sister, were abducted while traveling to an undisclosed village. He disclosed that the bandits brutally killed their driver on the spot and fed his flesh to their dogs.
Sheikh Danfili, visibly distressed, refrained from naming the kidnapped relatives but shared the severity of the situation. “The bandits have kidnapped my close relatives. I don’t want to disclose their names,” he said. He recounted how the family were ambushed during their journey, leading to the tragic death of their driver and the subsequent abduction of others.
The cleric also revealed that the bandits have demanded an enormous ransom, amounting to millions of Naira—an amount far beyond the family’s means. “We cannot raise it,” he lamented, emphasizing his modest means as a scholar whose life is dedicated to teaching. “I don’t have anything. My job is only to teach people with the books that you can see behind me,” he explained.
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Sheikh Danfili further expressed his fear for the safety of his relatives, stating that the bandits had set a deadline for the payment of the ransom. He referenced a recent incident in the state where a traditional ruler was killed by his abductors after a ransom demand was not met. “I know they can do that,” he said, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
In a desperate plea for assistance, Sheikh Danfili called on the public to help raise the necessary funds to secure the release of his relatives. “I am pleading for help from the general public so that we can be able to pay the ransom and get them released,” he urged.
The incident further reveals the ongoing security challenges in Sokoto and the increasing brutality of bandit attacks in the state.