Recording of bandits flogging elderly woman to force family to pay N20m ransom goes viral

An audio recording circulating widely on Twitter has sparked fresh outrage after it appeared to show suspected bandits physically assaulting an elderly woman they abducted when her family failed to meet their ransom demands.

In the clip — shared extensively across social media platforms — the gang can be heard negotiating a ransom of ₦20 million with the victim’s family. 

“I will kill your mama if you don’t bring N20million”, the voice of the bandit can be heard in the audio recording.

A relative acting as the family negotiator can be heard pleading with the bandits, saying that they had been able to raise N2.5 million. He offered ₦3 million as the highest sum they could muster. 

The bandit negotiating can be heard in smattering Yoruba, threatening again to kill the woman if the family failed to bring the demanded money. 

The next thing he did was to hand the phone to the elderly woman, who sounded weak and subdued. The woman told her relatives that they had been flogging her since they abducted her.

Sounds of whip lashes can be heard as the elderly woman breaks out in cries, saying that that is how they torture her every day.

The video is understood to have been recorded at the bandits’ hideout.

The incident is believed to have happened in the South West as the victim and her family spoke Yoruba.

The negotiator for the bandits also conversed in Yoruba with some difficulties.

Kidnapping for ransom remains a persistent security challenge across Nigeria, particularly in rural and forested areas where armed groups often operate.

Recent verified cases have included ransom demands ranging from tens of millions of naira, with families under extreme pressure to raise funds for the safe return of loved ones.

Security analysts say that recordings like the viral clip are often used by kidnappers as psychological leverage, heightening fear and urgency within families and communities.

Hear the audio here.