Ex-SUG President Dies After 13 Days In Bandits’ Captivity
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 regaining his freedom from bandits who held him captive for 13 days.
Muhammad reportedly died before he could be taken to a hospital after the kidnappers released him to his family following ransom negotiations.
According to a report by Dan Katsina (@DanKatsina50) on X, a family member disclosed that the bandits initially demanded a motorcycle and ₦2 million for his release.
After the family reportedly met the demands, the kidnappers allegedly requested an additional ₦1 million, further increasing the financial burden on the relatives.
The family member explained that the abductors later promised to release Muhammad the following day, claiming he was exhausted.
However, when he was eventually returned to his family, he reportedly died before relatives could rush him to a hospital.
His death has renewed concerns over the worsening insecurity and kidnapping crisis in Zamfara State, where armed groups continue to abduct residents, students, travellers and farmers 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. Of the incidents, 439 involved violence against civilians.
The state has also continued to witness deadly attacks in 2026. On November 9, SaharaReporters reported that gunmen attacked a village, killing a local security volunteer and 10 members of his family before abducting 13 other residents.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Zamfara State Police Command nor the state government had issued an official statement regarding Muhammad’s death.
