Kidnappers operating in parts of Shintaku and Odugbo in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State are demanding for as high as N18 million before they can release their victims.

As a result of this development, residents in the area have appealed to the federal and state governments for improved security arrangement in the areas to curb the activities of criminal elements who have continued to terrorise people living there.

Lamenting the increased activities of criminals in the areas, a resident, Alhaji Abdullahi Idris, said that their activities have graduated over a period of one year from petty stealing to armed robbery, violent shootings and now kidnappings.

He said that on April 7, 2015, there were shootings by criminals that resulted in the death of one person.

“One passenger died during the shooting and another had undergone surgery twice and is still in the hospital ”.

He also said that following an initial kidnapping of a local on December 2, 2015, who was released after some amount of money was extracted from the victim’s family, the kidnappers struck again on December 9, 2015. This time, Idris stated they grabbed two women from their homes and are demanding N18million in exchange for their freedom.

He lamented that although residents have complained on several occasions to the local government, nothing has happened to change the situation for the better.

All efforts to contact the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the areas proved abortive as at the time of going to press.