Terrorists reject old naira notes as ransom for abducted villagers

Gunmen suspected to be terrorists have demanded that ransom payment for four abducted persons be made with newly designed naira notes.

The abuctees consisting a man, woman and two children, were kidnapped in Kolo village, Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

According to The Punch, the terrorists demanded N10 million ransom and rejected the old naira notes.

Mohammed Ibrahim, an indigene of the state said the assailants later reduced the ransom to N5m, adding that people in the village had been trying to raise the money to secure the safe release of the victims.

“As we were trying to gather the money demanded by the terrorists, they sent another message this morning that they would not collect old naira notes.

“They said they would keep the abducted persons in their camps until the release of the new naira notes in December,” Ibrahim said.

President Muhammadu Buhari and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) unveiled the newly designed N200, N500 and N1000 notes on Wednesday, November 23, 2022.