According to sources close to the family, the couple had been married only months before their abduction.
Armed bandits have released Yakubu Dada, a retired government worker, after holding him captive for seven agonising months.
But his freedom came at a devastating cost — the life of his newlywed wife and a ransom payment totalling N30 million.
SaharaReporters was informed that Dada and his bride were kidnapped in October 2024 while travelling along the busy Kontagora highway in Niger State, an area increasingly known for violent abductions and lawlessness.
According to sources close to the family, the couple had been married only months before their abduction.
“They demanded N10 million at first,” a close neighbour, Idris Kolo, said. “The family struggled, sold land, borrowed; then they asked for more. Another 20 million. After all that, they still killed his wife.”
Kolo shared the heartbreaking account with SaharaReporters on Tuesday, calling it “yet another tragedy in a nation bleeding from unchecked banditry.”
“As we speak, he is on his way from Kontagora, and once he arrives in Minna, he will be taken to a medical facility. I’m currently in Suleja, but once I return home, I’ll confirm whether he has arrived,” Kolo added.
The bandits, notorious for their cruelty, reportedly killed the woman while still holding Dada in captivity — a psychological torture tactic that has become increasingly common in Nigeria’s kidnap-for-ransom epidemic.
“This isn’t just a crime. It’s terrorism,” said Kabiru Aliyu, a security analyst based in Kaduna. “These victims aren’t just numbers — they’re families being torn apart by impunity.”
The case echoes a disturbing pattern of high-profile kidnappings in Nigeria’s north-central region, where armed gangs ambush highways, abduct travellers, and hold them for months.
In 2023, over 3,000 Nigerians were reportedly kidnapped, with bandits targeting schoolchildren, clerics, and ordinary citizens alike. Ransoms often run into tens of millions, and payment does not guarantee safety, as in Dada’s case.
Despite the federal government’s promises to crack down on insecurity, many rural areas remain effectively under the control of these violent groups.
As of press time, no arrests have been made in connection with the Dada kidnapping. Locals say they fear even reporting such incidents, as they worry they could become targets themselves.
“She was innocent. They were just going to start their life together,” a neighbour lamented. “Now she’s gone. And he’ll (Dada) never be the same.”
However, as of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to confirm the development. Efforts to obtain clarification from the Niger State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, who initially promised to provide information, did not respond to subsequent calls or text message.
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