A21-year-old student of the Federal University Gusau, Zarah Abubakar Shehu, has died in captivity four months after being abducted by terrorists in Zamfara State.
Zarah, a 300-level student, was kidnapped alongside her two siblings in the early hours of November 3, 2024, when armed bandits attacked their home in the Damba area of Gusau
Security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama revealed the tragic development in a post on his X handle.
According to him, the kidnappers initially demanded N35 million for their release but later reduced the ransom to N10 million after negotiations.
However, after collecting the ransom, the abductors refused to release Zarah, instead demanding four motorcycles (Boza) and four cartons of engine oil as additional conditions for her freedom.
He posted, “Tragedy struck in Zamfara State as Zarah Abubakar Shehu, a 21-year-old student of the Federal University Gusau, died in captivity four months after she was abducted alongside her two siblings.
“Zarah, a 300-level student, was taken from her home in the Damba area of Gusau in the early hours of Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, by armed bandits. The kidnappers initially demanded ₦35 million for their release, but after negotiations, they agreed to accept ₦10 million.
“However, after receiving the ransom, the abductors refused to release Zarah, demanding four motorcycles (Boza) and four cartons of engine oil before setting them free.
“After months of efforts to meet the demands, the items were finally secured. When the kidnappers’ leader was informed, he contacted his men, who then revealed that Zarah had already died and was buried two days earlier.
“The deceased, the only daughter of her mother, had spent four months in captivity before her untimely death.”
Zamfara is one of the northern states grappling with violent criminal groups known as bandits, who raid villages, loot properties, kill residents, and set homes ablaze.
These gangs operate from camps deep within a vast forest spanning Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states, and have been responsible for mass kidnappings of students in recent years.
In 2019, the state government, under then-Governor and current Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, attempted a peace agreement with the gunmen.
However, despite the accord, communities in the state continued to face frequent attacks, with residents being kidnapped or killed.