A retired civil servant, Yakubu Dada, has been freed by bandits after spending eight harrowing months in captivity, following the payment of a total ransom of N30 million by his family.
Dada was kidnapped alongside his youngest wife, Lami, on October 31, 2024, while traveling along the notorious Kontagora Road in Niger State. The couple was abducted just a few kilometers from Kontagora town.
In a tragic turn of events, the bandits killed Lami in early May 2025 to pressure the family into meeting their escalating demands.
The family’s ordeal involved multiple ransom payments:
– November 2024: Initial payment of N10 million
– June 2025: Additional N20 million demanded by the kidnappers
– Total ransom paid: N30 million
To raise the initial N10 million, the family was forced to sell virtually everything they owned, including their family house, two vehicles, household furniture, televisions, and other valuable possessions.
Yakubu Dada was finally released on Monday, June 2, 2025, after his family met the bandits’ final demand of N20 million plus four Bajaj motorcycles. He was abandoned by his captors near Kotonkoro in Mariga Local Government Area.
Speaking exclusively to our correspondent, Maimuna, Dada’s eldest wife, confirmed the release but noted that her husband had not yet returned home at the time of this report.
“We are relieved that he is finally free, but we have lost everything,” Maimuna revealed. “We sold our house, our cars, everything we worked for over the years. And we lost Lami too.”
The ransom delivery was reportedly carried out by Dada’s younger brother in a forest location in Kebbi State, highlighting the dangerous lengths families must go to secure their loved ones’ freedom.
This incident underscores the continuing security challenges along Niger State’s major highways, particularly the Kontagora Road corridor, which has become a hotspot for bandit activities.
The case also illustrates the escalating ransom demands by criminal groups, who initially demanded N60 million before reducing their demand to N20 million plus motorcycles.
Yakubu Dada, a resident of the Brighter Area of Minna, had served as a civil servant before his retirement. His eight-month ordeal in captivity represents one of the longer kidnapping cases recorded in the region.