Bandits Release Abducted Kaduna Female Judge, Demand N150m for Three Children

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Bandits on Wednesday night released Janet Gimba, the Kaduna Customary Court judge, who was abducted alongside her four children about 11 days ago.

The remaining three children  are still being held in captivity.

The judge and  her  children were abducted on June 23 at their residence in Mahuta, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis.

One of the children, a 14-year-old boy,  was, however, killed on Tuesday by the bandits when the N298 million  ransom demanded  could not be delivered at  stipulated time.

The bandits were said to have asked the judge to deliver the ransom within  three days or the children will be killed.

The ransom is said to have been   reduced to N150 million from the initial N298 million.

On June 23, the bandits invaded their residence at  night when her husband, Musa Gimba, a medical doctor was on duty in the hospital.

The remains of her son was said to  have been picked from where it was dumped by the bandits and  deposited in the hospital.

Speaking in a telephone interview yesterday evening, the traumatised judge  said after the bandits reduced the ransom, they released her and asked her to go and bring N150 million for the release of her children.

She said: “Initially they demanded  N298 million, but they have reduced it to N150 million and they released me to go and bring the money before my children are released.”

Meanwhile, family and friends of the judge have taken to social media platforms to solicit for help from well-meaning individuals to facilitate the release of the children.

One of the family friends, Sixtus Omokhagbor, wrote on his  Facebook page:

“Thanks so much for your huge contributions. Janet Gimba, has just been released  but without her remaining three sons.

“They were supposed to have killed the kids yesterday but we begged for few days.

“Ransom (has been) reduced to N150 million and three  days to raise the money or they would be killed.

“First son is in the mortuary. Please,  we need more financial support to release her kids. Send you contributions to Dr. Musa Gimba, Acct. 2007150180.