ZAMFARA GOV LAWAL REVEALS ABDUCTORS OF HIS BROTHERS EVENTUALLY DEMANDED N150,000 RECHARGE CARD

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has revealed that kidnappers who abducted his brothers in 2025 eventually reduced their demand to a N150,000 recharge card after earlier ransom negotiations failed.

Lawal disclosed this on Monday, October 5, 2026, during a media chat while explaining his opposition to negotiating with kidnappers and his decision not to contribute any money towards securing the release of his brothers, Yusuf and Amba.

The governor said he had made his position clear to members of his family from the beginning, insisting that he would not pay ransom to criminals.

According to Lawal, family members were free to make their own decision and pay if they wished to secure the release of his brothers, but he personally would not provide money to the abductors.

Lawal said the kidnappers eventually became tired after their demands were not met and reduced their request considerably.

He recalled that their final demand, as he remembered it, was for a N150,000 recharge card. Even then, he said he refused to make the payment, maintaining that he had committed himself to not giving any money to criminals.

The governor explained that his refusal to pay was based on his belief that ransom payments strengthen criminal groups and encourage them to continue abducting people.

Lawal also said previous attempts to negotiate with kidnappers had not produced positive results, reinforcing his position against ransom negotiations.

The governor’s disclosure comes amid continued security challenges in Zamfara State, where communities and major roads have experienced attacks and abductions by armed groups.

In January 2026, suspected bandits reportedly ambushed security personnel along the Kwatarkwashi axis in Bungudu Local Government Area, killing five soldiers and a police inspector.

Other attacks were reported during the year in areas including Anka, Tsafe, Bukkuyum, Maradun and Kaura Namoda, with residents killed or abducted in separate incidents.

In September, troops rescued 41 travellers who had been abducted after their commercial bus reportedly broke down along the Tsafe-Funtua Road, highlighting the security difficulties faced by travellers on major routes in the state.

Lawal said his administration was working to improve the response time of security agencies, particularly in areas facing persistent attacks.

He identified Tsafe as one of the areas with serious security challenges and said poor road access, particularly along the Tsafe-Yankuzo axis, had made it difficult for security personnel to reach affected communities quickly.

According to the governor, improving roads in difficult-to-access areas would help security agencies respond faster whenever attacks occur.

He also said his administration was deploying technology, including drones, to monitor difficult-to-reach locations and provide security agencies with information that could assist their operations.

Lawal acknowledged that attacks had not completely stopped, particularly in remote areas that become difficult to access during the rainy season.

He maintained, however, that his administration was working with security agencies to improve surveillance and response capabilities across the state.

The governor’s account of his brothers’ abduction has added a personal dimension to his longstanding position that ransom payments should not be used as a means of resolving kidnapping incidents.

While Lawal said he refused to personally pay the N150,000 recharge-card demand, the circumstances surrounding the eventual release of his brothers were not fully detailed in the reports of his media chat.

His comments come as Zamfara continues to face efforts by security agencies and the state government to tackle banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime affecting residents and travellers.