June 9, 2026
By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY—The bullet that killed 45-year-old Stella wasn’t meant for 66-year-old Mrs. Favour Nosakhare. But in the chaos of a dark forest, as kidnappers enforced their deadly act on families who couldn’t pay, the same round tore through both women.
Moments later, as a 15-year-old boy watched in silence, the old woman stopped breathing.
“I heard my mum’s voice. She was praying,” Annabel Emmanuel, said her voice still hollow days after the ordeal. “Then she started breathing heavily. Then… I didn’t hear her breath again.”
