Bandits have killed an Abuja-based businessman, Muhammad Shuaibu, and his 19-year-old daughter, Fatima Muhammad, despite collecting a total ransom of N12million from their family.
Fatima, before her death, was a student of the University of Abuja, while her father traded at the Dei-Dei Modern Market in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
Daily Trust reports that the victims were abducted on October 3, 2025, when heavily armed men stormed their residence in the Zhidu community in the Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State.
According to a family member who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, the kidnappers invaded the house at night, rounded up members of the household, and subsequently whisked Shuaibu and his two daughters away into the bush.
The source disclosed that the kidnappers later contacted the family and demanded ransom in installments.
The family member said that the kidnappers first demanded money and they paid N6 million.
Later they asked for another N4million which they also struggled to raise. Finally, they demanded N2million, bringing the total ransom paid to N12million.
Despite the ongoing negotiations and payments, the kidnappers reportedly killed Fatima about three months ago, accusing her of being “stubborn.”
The family member further revealed that after the final payment of N2million was delivered, the kidnappers instructed the person who brought the ransom to leave the area, claiming that Shuaibu had died in captivity after falling seriously ill.
According to the source, the family sold most of the businessman’s assets in a desperate attempt to secure the release of the victims.
The family member disclosed that they sold his shop at Dei-Dei Modern Market, his private car, and even his sachet water production machine just to raise the ransom.
“The bandits even asked us to sell his house, but there was no buyer,” the source said.
However, efforts to get a reaction from the Niger State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls and messages sent to the command’s spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, were not responded to as of the time this report was filed.
