Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal says bandits abducted his brothers and demanded ₦300 million as ransom. Lawal made the disclosure in Abuja on Thursday while addressing public forums, reiterating that he would not negotiate with kidnappers or bandits and that paying ransom would encourage further criminal activity.
According to Lawal, he declined the ₦300 million demand connected to the 2019 incident and instead chose not to comply with the kidnappers’ terms for releasing his brothers. One account also quotes him describing his response to the abductors in terms of allowing them to kill his brothers rather than paying ransom.
Across the reports, the incident is presented as part of an ongoing security challenge in Zamfara State and as a reason for the governor’s continued position against ransom payment. The outlets also link his remarks to broader calls for improved policing, including stronger state police arrangements, while maintaining that no ransom was paid in the case described by the governor.
