Former APC chairman dies in bandit captivity
Alhaji Muhammadu Mai Barga Besse, the immediate past APC chairman of Koko/Besse Local Government in Kebbi State, has been confirmed dead while in the custody of bandits. The confirmation came just hours after gunmen abducted the wife and son of the sitting APC chairman of Yauri Local Government, Alhaji Yusuf Alhassan, from their home.
Details of the incidents
According to security and conflict reporter Bakatsine, who disclosed the development on X on Tuesday, Besse was kidnapped alongside an associate earlier in June. A disturbing video later surfaced showing both men being humiliated by their captors in the Birnin Gwari forest, a notorious bandit hideout spanning parts of northern Nigeria. Bakatsine confirmed that both men seen in that footage have now died in captivity, without ever reuniting with their families.
"What began as disturbing footage of humiliation has ended in the worst possible tragedy. Two lives gone, two families shattered and more painful questions about the security crisis facing communities across northern Nigeria," Bakatsine wrote, offering prayers for the deceased and condolences to their families.
Abduction of Yauri APC chairman's family
Barely a day earlier, Pulse Nigeria reported that suspected bandits had stormed the residence of Alhaji Yusuf Alhassan, the sitting APC chairman of Yauri Local Government, abducting his wife and son in the early hours of Thursday. According to reports, the attackers struck the chairman's home in the Low-Cost area of Yauri before disappearing into a nearby forest with the victims. The Kebbi State Police Command said personnel have been deployed to track the abductors and secure their release.
Impact on local political officeholders
As of the time of filing, Kebbi State authorities had not issued an official statement on the deaths. Taken together, the two incidents paint a grim picture of the risks facing local political officeholders in Kebbi State, regardless of whether they currently hold office or have since left it. For Alhassan, the fate of Besse, abducted, filmed in humiliating captivity, and ultimately killed before rescue could reach him, will likely loom heavily over the coming days as his own family remains in bandit custody, with no confirmation yet of their safety.
Broader security crisis in North-West Nigeria
The deaths add to a deepening security crisis in Nigeria's North-West, where kidnappings and killings by armed bandit groups have continued largely unabated despite sustained military operations across the region. The incidents highlight the ongoing insecurity in Kebbi State and the wider region.
