Former SUG President D!es After Spending 13 Days In B∆ndits’ C∆ptivity
Former SUG President Dies After Spending 13 Days In Bandits’ Captivity
The ransom demands reportedly continued even after the family had paid the initial amount, leaving them with an additional financial burden before Muhammad’s release.
Lawali Muhammad, a former President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the College of Agricultural and Animal Science Technology, Bakura, Zamfara State, has died shortly after being released by bandits who held him captive for 13 days.
Muhammad reportedly died before he could be taken to a hospital after his captors returned him to his family following ransom negotiations. His death came after his family struggled to meet the demands of the kidnappers in an effort to secure his release.
According to a report by Dan Katsina (@DanKatsina50) on X, a family member said the kidnappers initially demanded a motorcycle and ₦2 million as ransom. After the family reportedly fulfilled the demands, the abductors allegedly requested an additional ₦1 million.
The family member said the bandits later promised to release Muhammad the following day, claiming that he was exhausted. However, after he was eventually returned to his family, he died before relatives could rush him to a hospital.
The ransom demands reportedly continued even after the family had paid the initial amount, leaving them with an additional financial burden before Muhammad’s release.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the persistent kidnapping crisis in Zamfara State, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted residents, students, travellers and farming communities for ransom.
A January 2026 security assessment by the European Union Agency for Asylum documented 760 security incidents in Zamfara between January 2024 and August 2025, resulting in 2,806 fatalities. The agency also reported that 439 of the incidents involved violence against civilians.
The state has continued to record deadly attacks and abductions in 2026. On November 9, SaharaReporters reported that gunmen attacked a village in Zamfara, killing a local security volunteer and 10 members of his family before abducting 13 other residents.
Muhammad’s death adds to concerns over the dangers faced by people held by armed groups and the financial demands placed on families seeking the release of kidnapped relatives.
No official statement from the Zamfara State Police Command or the state government on Muhammad’s death was available at the time of this report.
