A former councilor in Adamawa State has been murdered in a brutal late-night home invasion, while his two sons remain in the captivity of kidnappers who are demanding a multi-million naira ransom.
A Night of Terror in Kirchinga
Shamalsinmi Umaru, a former councilor representing the Kirchinga community in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa state, was killed by armed assailants on the night of Friday, November 28. The attack occurred at his residence at approximately 10:30 p.m.
According to a grieving family member who spoke anonymously, the horror unfolded after a knock on the door of the first wife's room. "My brother asked who they were," the relative recounted. "From their response, he noticed they were kidnappers, so he asked his wife not to open the door."
The assailants then forced their way into the former councilor's room. "They broke the door and pulled him out," the source said. Shamalsinmi pleaded with the gunmen, asking what they wanted and stating he had no money. They ordered him to follow them.
Plea for Mercy Ends in Tragedy
The former councilor refused to comply, looking at his children and wives. He begged the attackers to leave him be. His pleas fell on deaf ears. "Unfortunately, they shot him," the family member stated. "The first bullet hit his head and the second one in his stomach. That was how he fell on the ground, and we lost him."
While the family was reeling from the murder, the attackers compounded their anguish. The gunmen entered his wife's room and seized her two male children. "They carried her two male children away without saying anything to us, even when we were all pleading with them," the relative lamented.
The abduction of the sons was not the first contact with the kidnappers. The family revealed that the two boys had actually been taken a few days before the deadly attack on their father. The incidents are believed to be connected.
A Desperate Race Against a Ransom Deadline
The kidnappers have since made contact, placing the family in an impossible situation. "They called us on Tuesday demanding a ransom of 7 million naira before Sunday, if not, they will kill the two children," the family source disclosed.
The family is in a state of panic and financial despair. "We don't have such an amount of money; we are presently selling all our assets just to make sure we meet their demand," he explained. "But even if we sell everything we have, we cannot provide such an amount of money as they are demanding."
The mother of the abducted children is said to be in a critical psychological state. "Since the day that the incident happened, she has been depressed, frustrated, and in a critical situation," the relative shared. "She is gradually losing all hope, always calling her children's name and that of her husband."
Appeals for Government Intervention
Faced with a looming deadline and an unattainable ransom, the family is calling for urgent help. They expressed disappointment at the lack of official intervention so far. "The government has not intervened in any way yet," the family member said. "I'm calling on the government to come to our aid in helping us to raise the 7 million naira ransom they are demanding. We don't want our children to be killed, the way they killed our brother."
The violent episode has sent shockwaves through the entire Kirchinga community, leaving residents in a state of deep fear. "We in the entire local community are living in deep fear of what will be our fate," the source concluded, highlighting the broader climate of insecurity.
This attack in Adamawa follows a similar pattern of violence seen in other northern states. In a related incident, armed bandits recently stormed Unguwar Tsamiya community in Shanono LGA, Kano state, setting houses ablaze and abducting 11 people, underscoring the persistent security challenges in the region.
