Two Top Niger Govt Officials Continue to Languish in Kidnappers’ Den
Laleye Dipo in Minna
Two top officials of the Niger State Government have continued to languish in kidnappers’ den five months after they were abducted by suspected gunmen.
This is even as the relations of the victims had paid N70million ransom to the kidnappers.
The officials, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed, a member of the State Independent National Electoral Commission (SINEC), and Alhaji Alhassan Bawa Niworo, Chairman of the Niger State Ward Development Project, were kidnapped on the Mokwa – Ibbi-New Bussa road on September 29, 2025.
After they were kidnapped, the gunmen first asked for a ransom of N30 million which the families paid, but they were not released.
It was after collecting the first ransom that the kidnappers asked for another N40 million which was also paid, yet the victims continue to be held by the bandits.
Now the bandits are asking for a whopping N150 million before the release of the victims threatening that the duo would be slaughtered if the demand was not met.
A relation of one of the victims, Alhaji Ayuba Abubakar, said after the bandits collected the second ransom, “the next thing was that we saw the body of the driver who was abducted along with our brother.
“We are afraid that the same faith may befall the commissioner if urgent steps are not taken; we are afraid more now that the last time they spoke to us was a month ago, they threatened to kill him if we did not bring more money, and since then we have not spoken to them.”
Also speaking on behalf of the Niworo family, his younger sister, Hajiya Kulu Mohammed Niworo, said the bandits called about a month ago to threaten them for more money, saying that “we took loans, family members contributed, ted and sold our family property to raise N30 million, which we gave them even thoughthey refused to release him.
“The last time we spoke to them, they threatened to kill him if we did not bring N150 million, and since then, en we have not heard from them. So, we are appealing to the people’s position of authority to help us rescue him alive,” she added, while ppaintinga gloomy picture of uncertainty about the condition of their brother.
