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‘I Won’t Pay A Dime’ – Zamfara Governor Reveals ₦600m Ransom Demand For Kidnapped Brothers.
The Zamfara State Governor has reiterated his opposition to negotiating with bandits, arguing that ransom payments provide criminals with the financial resources to acquire sophisticated weapons and continue abducting innocent people.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The governor made the remarks in an interview with Nigerian Tribune on Saturday, insisting that his position against negotiating with bandits had remained unchanged since he assumed office.
He argued that paying ransom had turned kidnapping into a lucrative criminal enterprise, enabling bandits to finance further attacks.
“My stand has always been no negotiation with the bandits, from day one. And I still maintain that stand,” he said.
The governor explained that money paid to secure the release of abducted victims could be used by criminals to purchase weapons and sustain their operations.
According to him, continued ransom payments only strengthen the capacity of bandits to carry out more kidnappings and other violent crimes.
“Kidnapping people and asking for ransom is empowering the bandits. For every naira that you pay, that is what they use to acquire sophisticated weapons,” he stated.
He questioned how bandits could afford such weapons if they were unable to obtain ransom payments from the families of their victims.
The governor also revealed that he had personally experienced the trauma of kidnapping in 2025 when two of his biological brothers were abducted by bandits.
According to him, the kidnappers demanded ₦300 million for each of his brothers, bringing the total ransom demand to ₦600 million.
Despite the enormous amount demanded, the governor said he refused to pay, maintaining that he would not provide criminals with money to finance further attacks.
“It happened to me in 2025, when two of my blood brothers were kidnapped. The first thing they asked for was a ransom of ₦300 million per person. I said I was not going to pay a dime,” he disclosed.
He explained that the kidnappers had gone directly to his brothers’ homes and taken them away, questioning why he should pay money to secure their release.
“You already have these people under your custody. You came to pick them yourselves. They did not go there. They even came to their houses and picked them. And you expect me to pay money to secure their freedom? I said no. I will not do that,” he said.
The governor maintained that he was determined not to pay ransom, even when the lives of his relatives were at stake.
“I am a very strong believer that if they are meant to die within that period, they will die. Nobody will do anything. But I will not give my money to a criminal and empower him to do more,” he added.
He also questioned the effectiveness of negotiations with bandits under the previous administration, arguing that the approach had failed to produce meaningful results.
“Secondly, if you look at the history of all the negotiations that took place under the previous administration, did they yield any positive results? The answer is no,” he stated.
The governor further argued that bandit groups lacked a unified leadership structure, making it difficult to negotiate agreements that would be respected by all factions.
He explained that reaching an agreement with one group could provoke another to launch attacks in an attempt to demonstrate its influence and demand similar recognition.
“Remember, these people are not organized. If you decide to negotiate with A, another person will feel that you are underrating him. He will show you that he is also somebody to recognise. So, how do you negotiate with these kinds of people?” he asked.
He added that the absence of central leadership among the groups made it difficult to hold them accountable for agreements reached during negotiations.
“Nobody takes responsibility. Nobody takes leadership. They operate in isolation,” the governor said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared Kingsley Chinda, an ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for the 2027 governorship election in Rivers State.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Chinda, a former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, previously belonged to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before emerging as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the forthcoming governorship election.
His emergence as the APC candidate attracted attention among political stakeholders, particularly because reports of his defection to the ruling party had not received widespread publicity.
The development also drew scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s decision to restore Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026. The provisions address party membership registers and restrict political parties from presenting candidates who do not meet the stipulated membership registration requirements.
However, Chinda’s name appeared at number five on the 19-man list of candidates released by INEC on Saturday.
ADC Chieftain Questions Legality Of Chinda’s Candidacy
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has challenged the APC to clarify the legal status of Chinda’s candidacy.
Eze questioned whether Chinda’s name was included in the verified APC membership register submitted to INEC within the legally prescribed period.
He made the remarks in response to the Supreme Court’s recent judgment affirming the validity of Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026.
The ADC chieftain described the ruling as an important judicial reaffirmation that political parties must comply with the law when conducting their internal electoral processes.
Section 77(5) stipulates that only party members whose names appear in the membership register submitted to INEC within the required period may participate in the relevant party exercise. Section 77(6) also prohibits the use of a different membership register for such an exercise.
In a statement made available to journalists on Friday, Eze argued that the central issue was no longer political propaganda but compliance with the law.
His challenge places renewed attention on whether Chinda’s emergence as the APC candidate satisfies the membership registration requirements upheld by the Supreme Court.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced October 20 as the date for the inauguration of its presidential campaign council ahead of the 2027 general election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The party’s National Chairman, Cleopas Zuwoghe, disclosed this on Saturday during a press conference in Abuja.
Zuwoghe explained that although the party had prepared the structure of the campaign council, it was consulting its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to finalise appointments.
He said the consultations were necessary to ensure that only individuals whose loyalty and commitment to the party were beyond doubt would be appointed to key positions in the campaign.
According to the chairman, the party has proposed holding a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on October 20, during which it plans to inaugurate the campaign council and present certificates of return to its candidates.
He said, “It is a sensitive election that we are going into. And we must check characters. It is not today you appoint one DG of your campaign. And in the middle of the campaign, you will hear that your DG is one leg in the NDC, one leg somewhere else.
“And will jeopardise the whole hope of this country. So they have to check and double-check.
“And to let you know, we have proposed a NEC meeting for the 20th of this month, and today is the 10th.
“So on the 20th of this month, we shall have a NEC meeting, and in that next meeting, what we intend to achieve is to formally inaugurate our presidential campaign council. Also, as a party, to give certificates of return.
“We’re the ones who give candidates tickets now. So we should be able to give our candidates certificates of return that these people are our party candidates. And we had intended to have a dinner with all our candidates to build synergy.”
Zuwoghe added that the inauguration would enable the party to intensify its campaign activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also dismissed suggestions that the NDC had been inactive, noting that party officials had already visited Sokoto and Kaduna states, with plans to visit Enugu State on October 15.
The chairman said the party would unveil its campaign strategy in the coming days, stressing that the NDC was focused on building a strong political institution with particular attention to youth development.
He added that the party remained committed to creating a platform capable of advancing its broader vision for Nigeria.
Fufore Local Government Area Chairman in Adamawa State, Yahya Saidu, has died, less than three months after assuming office.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Saidu, who was sworn in as council chairman on July 15, 2026, reportedly died in the early hours of Friday, October 9.
His death marks the second time a Fufore council chairman has died in office in less than two years. His predecessor, Alhaji Shuaibu Babas, died on April 23, 2025.
As of the time of filing this report, the family had yet to announce burial arrangements.
Reacting to the development, the member representing Fufore/Song Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Aliyu Boya Wakili, described Saidu as a dedicated public servant whose contributions would be greatly missed.
Army Neutralises 16 Terrorists In Adamawa Operations
In a related development, troops of the Nigerian Army operating under Operation Hadin Kai have reportedly neutralised 16 terrorists and recovered arms and ammunition during coordinated military operations in Adamawa State.
The operations were conducted around the Boima general area of Gombi Local Government Area and other locations within Sector 4 of the operation’s area of responsibility.
The Acting Military Information Officer at the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai, Mohammed Goni, disclosed the development in a post on the Nigerian Army’s X account on Thursday, October 1.
According to the military, the operations involved airstrikes against suspected terrorist targets and efforts to repel attacks on military positions.
The Army stated that troops had ambushed a terrorist enclave in the Boima area of Gombi Local Government Area, killing 16 suspected terrorists during the operation.
The military also reported the recovery of arms and ammunition as part of efforts to weaken terrorist activities in the area.
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