Bandits Kill LG Vice Chairman after Collecting Ransom
- Bandits killed Bukuyum LGA Vice Chairman Muazu Muhammad Gwashi after collecting a N15 million ransom from his community
- Five nursing mothers and four others were abducted in a midnight attack on Saran Wawa village in Ruwan Rana district
- Zamfara State Information Commissioner Mahmud Dantawasa mourned the killing and urged stronger security measures
The vice chairman of Bukuyum Local Government Area in Zamfara State, Muazu Muhammad Gwashi, has been killed by bandits after spending more than six months in captivity.
He had been held since mid-year and was released briefly to his community after relatives and neighbours struggled to gather part of the ransom demanded for his freedom.
Source: Original
Residents said the abductors initially asked for N30 million. They later accepted N15 million, which was raised through community contributions before Gwashi was brought out.
According to witnesses, he was seen alive when the abductors returned him, but they seized him again and killed him shortly after.
Community grieves slain LG official
A resident, Malam Muhammad Mansur Sani, said the events left many people devastated.
According to him:
“They demanded N30 million, which we couldn’t afford. After collecting N15 million, they brought him to the community. Many people saw him, but they later took him back into the forest and killed him.”
His account captured the despair in Bukuyum as the news spread.
The Zamfara state commissioner for information, Hon. Mahmud Muhammad Dantawasa, condoled with the family and the wider community. He described the killing as a painful moment for the state and urged security agencies to intensify efforts across the affected regions.
Source: Facebook
While Gwashi was in captivity, one of his captors, in a show of disregard for security agencies, took a selfie of himself and posted it on his Facebook account.
The post, made around September, triggered heavy backlash from Gwashi's friends and followers on Facebook, who rained curses on the bandit.
Fresh abductions in Saran Wawa
Two days before the killing was confirmed, armed men stormed Saran Wawa village in the Ruwan Rana district and abducted five nursing mothers and four others. The victims were taken around midnight on December 8, leaving the village in panic.
A relative of one of the abducted women, Malam Shehu, said the women were carrying their babies when they were taken away. He explained that the kidnappers had not made any contact with the families and that uncertainty was fueling fear among residents.
Tension as bandits exchange gunfire with soldiers
Recall that a combative exchange between security operatives and armed bandits occurred on the Oshokoshoko–Obajana highway in Kogi state.
Many travellers were trapped for hours as vehicles parked helplessly in long queues on Monday, December 1, 2025.
Kogi state has recorded kidnapping and bandit attacks in recent days, the latest was an attack on a church during Sunday service.
Bandits attack Kogi church, kidnap pastor, wife
Legit.ng also reported that gunmen attacked the newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi state.
The armed bandits attacked worshippers during church service on Sunday, November 30, 2025.
It was gathered that the community was thrown into chaos following the bandits' attack on the church.
Source: Legit.ng
