A prominent businessman and farmer in Katsina State, Bala Sanin Kawo, has reportedly been killed by bandits days after he was abducted in Dandume Local Government Area of the state.
Sources in the area told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Kawo was abducted alongside one of his employees on Thursday while returning from his farm near Dantakari in Dandume LGA.
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According to residents familiar with the incident, the attackers later contacted the family and demanded a ransom for his release.
The exact amount demanded could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report. While some accounts claimed the bandits initially demanded hundreds of millions of naira, local sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the family was eventually asked to raise five million naira.
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A resident of the area, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, said the family mobilised the money and delivered it as instructed by the kidnappers.
However, after the ransom was reportedly handed over, the family was directed to a location where Mr Kawo’s body was allegedly found.
“After the ransom was delivered, the family was asked to proceed to another location. It was there they reportedly discovered his corpse,” the source said.
PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately establish the circumstances surrounding his death.
Mr Kawo was well known in Dandume and neighbouring communities for his large-scale farming. Residents described him as one of the area’s most successful farmers and employers.
Community members said his death has generated widespread grief across the local government area.
Police yet to confirm
When contacted on Monday, the spokesperson of the Katsina State Police Command, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, said he would verify the incident and respond.
However, he had not yet provided an update as of the time this report was filed.
Renewed concern over insecurity
The incident comes barely two days after the death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, a former Director of Defence Information, who died while in captivity after being abducted by bandits in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State.
READ ALSO: EXCLUSIVE: How General Rabe Abubakar’s body was recovered after death in captivity
The retired army officer was kidnapped alongside his wife on 30 May. Katsina State authorities announced his death on Saturday, while troops later rescued his wife during ongoing military operations in the area.
Katsina remains one of the states most affected by banditry and kidnapping in Nigeria’s North-west region. Armed groups operating across several local government areas have continued to target travellers, farmers and rural communities despite ongoing military operations and local peace initiatives.
Although authorities have recently reported a decline in attacks in some communities following dialogue efforts and intensified security operations, incidents of abduction and killings continue to pose a major security challenge across parts of the state.
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