Tragedy struck in Zamfara State as a 21-year-old student of the Federal University Gusau, Zarah Abubakar Shehu, died in captivity four months after being abducted by armed bandits.
Zarah, a 300-level student, was forcefully taken from her residence in the Damba area of Gusau alongside her two siblings during an early morning raid on November 3, 2024.
Initially demanding a ransom of ₦35 million for their release, the kidnappers later reduced their demand to ₦10 million following negotiations. However, despite the payment of the ransom, Zarah was not released.
Instead, the abductors demanded four motorcycles (Boza) and four cartons of engine oil as additional conditions for her freedom, as disclosed by security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama.
Makama shared the heartbreaking news on his social media platform, X handle, revealing that efforts were made to meet the new demands set by the captors.
It was only after these items were secured that the leader of the kidnappers informed negotiators that Zarah had tragically passed away and had been buried two days earlier.
Zarah, described as the only daughter of her mother, spent an agonizing four months in captivity before her untimely death, marking another grim chapter in Zamfara’s ongoing struggle with banditry and insecurity.
The state, along with neighboring Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states, has witnessed a surge in violent criminal activities perpetrated by these groups, including mass kidnappings targeting students and residents alike.
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