Bandits have kidnapped and killed a prominent businessman in Katsina State, Alhaji Bala Sanin Kawo. Kawo was abducted along with one of his employees on June 11, 2026, in Dandume Local Government Area of the state.
Ransom Demand and Payment
Sources familiar with the incident told The Sun that after Kawo was abducted, the bandits contacted his family members on June 13, demanding a ransom payment before his release. While some reports put the ransom amount demanded at N500 million, sources residing in the council area said the amount was pegged at N5 million. They explained that Kawo’s family members and some of his associates managed to quickly raise the amount and delegated some people to deliver it to the bandits.
Discovery of Remains
After delivering the money, the family was instructed to proceed to a certain location where they would find Kawo’s remains. “On Thursday, June 11, 2026, Alhaji Bala encountered bandits while returning home from one of his farms near Dantakari town in Dandume Local Government Area,” one source told the publication. “He was accompanied by one of his workers, Bara’u Kwaro, when the bandits abducted them and took them into the forest. On Saturday, June 13, 2026, at about 1:30 p.m., the bandits contacted Alhaji Bala’s family, informing them that he was unwell and demanding a ransom of N5 million naira for his release. The family raised the amount and delivered it to the bandits. However, after receiving the ransom, the bandits instructed the family to proceed to a location they specified, where they found Alhaji Bala’s corpse.”
Community Mourning
The tragic incident has thrown the people of Dandume Local Government Area and Katsina State into deep mourning, particularly in view of the significant contributions the deceased made to agricultural development and job creation for thousands of people. “He was one of the most prominent farmers in Dandume. He was capable of producing more than 10,000 bags of agricultural products annually and provided employment opportunities to over 5,000 people through farming activities in the area,” the source added. “He was the eldest son of Alhaji Sani Kawo, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest farmers Dandume has ever produced.”
