Kidnappers Demand N60m, Motorcycles for Release of Niger Couple After Family Sells All Belongings to Pay N10m Ransom

The plight of Mallam Yakubu Dada, a retired civil servant, and his wife continues to highlight the harrowing reality of insecurity in Niger State. Kidnapped in October 2024 along the Kontagora-Tegina road, the couple remains in captivity despite their family’s desperate efforts to secure their release.

Dada’s family, in an effort to meet the kidnappers’ initial ransom demand of N10 million, sold the couple’s house, car, and other valuable possessions. However, after receiving the payment, the kidnappers increased their demands, now requesting an additional N60 million and ten motorcycles. Unable to meet these new demands, the family is left in despair, with little hope of securing the couple’s freedom.

A journalist, Akote Sadeeq Abubakar, brought attention to the case in a recent Facebook post, urging the public to remember those still in captivity as the New Year unfolds. He noted that the Dadas’ situation is just one of many, including the abduction of 23 women from Allawa in Shiroro Local Government Area since February 2024, and numerous farmers from Kontagora and Mariga who remain hostages.