9 Months With Bandits: Niger Electoral Commissioner’s Family Pleads For Help

Nine months after gunmen abducted Barrister Mohammed Ahmed Wawa, a commissioner with the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), alongside his driver and another aide, his family remains trapped in fear, uncertainty and financial ruin, after his captors reportedly collected a N40 million ransom but have yet to release him. ABU NMODU writes on the family’s prolonged ordeal and fading hope.

In September last year, Barrister Mohammed Ahmed Wawa kissed his wife and children goodbye before setting out for Wawa, his hometown in Borgu local government area of Niger State. He assured them he would return within a few days. That promise remains unfulfilled.

It was a journey that was expected to last only a few hours.  Barrister Wawa left his hometown of Wawa in Borgu local government area and began his return trip, accompanied by his driver, popularly known as Maikudi, and another aide. But before they could reach their destination, armed bandits intercepted them in broad daylight and whisked them away, marking the beginning of a painful nine-month ordeal for the family, as the NSIEC commissioner is still being held by his captors despite the payment of a reported N40 million ransom.

For his family, every sunrise brings renewed hope, and every sunset deepens their anguish. Birthdays, religious celebrations and other family milestones have passed without his reassuring presence. The emotional trauma has been compounded by severe financial hardship, leaving loved ones to struggle not only with the uncertainty of his fate but also with the painful reality that even sacrificing everything they had to raise the ransom has not secured his freedom.

LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that the abductees were subjected to harsh conditions from the moment they were taken. Their hands and legs were reportedly chained, while they were barely given food. The victims were initially moved through Ibbi to the Kainji Lake forest before they were transported on motorcycles to a bandits’ camp in Zamfara State.

The ordeal proved fatal for Maikudi, Wawa’s driver, who reportedly died about three months after the abduction while they were still in the Kainji Lake forest area around Ibbi. Sources said he could no longer withstand the torture and harsh conditions inflicted on the captives. His death added another layer of grief to an already traumatised family still waiting anxiously for the commissioner’s return.

It was gathered that the abductees were moved under the cover of darkness through a grazing route linking Niger, Katsina and Zamfara states, where the bandits began negotiations with the family for ransom.

Today, the family’s living room is filled with silence. On the wall hangs a framed photograph of Barrister Ahmed , the only image the family has left to hold onto as they await the return of their breadwinner.

Amid the despair and helplessness, the bandits reportedly continued to demand a total ransom of N260 million, despite an earlier payment of N40 million made to them.

The family said they had paid all they could afford, but the bandits holding Barrister Ahmed were demanding more money.

“We are tired. We are helpless. We just want him back,” Abubakar Ayuba, who usually serves as the family’s point of contact with the abductors, told LEADERSHIP Weekend.

He said the bandits had insisted that the family must raise N260 million or risk losing him. The fresh demand came after the family reportedly sold their properties and paid N40 million to the abductors in an earlier attempt to secure his release.

The wife of the abducted commissioner, Rahmat Ahmed, said the bandits collected N40 million after instructing the family to convert the money into dollars before payment.

“They instructed us to change it into dollars. We paid them in December last year, but since then they have continued to call us every day to threaten us,” she said.

According to her, the repeated calls from the abductors have subjected the family to severe emotional and financial distress. She said the bandits often resorted to threats and insults whenever they contacted the family.

“They will call us and say, ‘Foolish people, if you don’t bring the money, we will kill him now and send his body to you. We are giving you people 24 hours to bring the money,’” she recounted.

Hajiya Ahmed said that during her last conversation with her husband, he appeared weak and unwell and personally appealed to her to do everything possible to help raise money for his release.

She appealed to the Niger State Government to urgently intervene and support efforts to secure her husband’s release, expressing concern over his deteriorating health and the danger he faces in captivity.

Recounting the family’s ordeal, another relative of Barrister Ahmed who has been communicating with the abductors, Abubakar Ayuba, described the bandits as uncompromising and hostile during their conversations.

“The people are heartless. You dare not appeal to them. They will insult you and threaten you. They are insisting that we must bring the money,” Ayuba told LEADERSHIP Weekend.

He explained that the family could not contact the bandits directly but could only receive calls from them.

“You cannot call them; you can only receive their calls. Their Hausa is not very clear, but they usually speak Hausa with us. Sometimes my heart breaks whenever I see their calls,” he said.

Ayuba said the family now prays whenever the abductors’ number appears on their phones, hoping it does not bring bad news about Barrister Ahmed.

“It has reached that level because of Barrister Ahmed’s health condition. We are always afraid of hearing the worst about him,” he said.

According to Ayuba, he personally wrote an appeal to the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, seeking urgent intervention because the commissioner’s condition had deteriorated.

“You can imagine someone being in bandits’ captivity for over nine months . The hunger, the torture and the health challenges. It is worse than anyone can imagine,” he said.

In a letter to the governor obtained by LEADERSHIP Weekend, Ayuba expressed concern over the continued detention of Barrister Ahmed Mohammed, describing his situation as desperate.

“I write with deep concern and sympathy regarding the abduction of Barrister Ahmed Mohammed, a commissioner with the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC). Barrister Ahmed was kidnapped by bandits along the Mokwa–Ibbi Road on September 29, 2025, and he remains in captivity to date,” he wrote.

Ayuba said the family had exhausted its resources in efforts to secure the commissioner’s release.

“Since his abduction, his family has done everything within their capacity to secure his release. We understand that the abductors have made demands, and we are also gravely concerned by reports that Barrister Ahmed’s health is seriously deteriorating while in captivity,” he stated.

He appealed to the governor and security agencies to intervene urgently.

“On behalf of his family, colleagues and well-wishers, I respectfully appeal for your urgent intervention and support of all relevant security agencies to ensure his safe and immediate release. Barrister Ahmed is a dedicated public servant, and his continued detention is a source of immense pain and anxiety to all who know him,” Ayuba wrote.

The letter, LEADERSHIP Weekend can report, reflects the desperation of a family struggling to secure the return of their breadwinner. However, when contacted, Ayuba said the family had received no response from the government or security agencies.

LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that Barrister Ahmed was regarded as a symbol of hope in his Wawa community, where many looked up to him as a leader who consistently supported people in times of need. Today, however, he remains at the mercy of his abductors with his family waiting for help.

Another respondent and family friend who gave his name as Mallam Abdul Mohammed said as an NSIEC commissioner, his responsibility involved organising local government elections, including councillorship and chairmanship polls that determine community leadership and decisions affecting daily life —, from road maintenance to water supply and other local services.

But while he remains in captivity, his family faces mounting difficulties. His children’s school fees are overdue, and relatives are struggling to cope with the financial burden of his absence., he added.

The family confirmed that the initial ransom payment was raised through the sale of his properties and contributions from relatives. Despite the payment, the demands from the abductors continued. The latest ransom figure communicated to the family is far beyond what a public servant’s family can realistically raise without assistance.

The family said they received no support from authorities in raising the initial ransom, and there have been no visible steps toward securing his release or rescuing other victims held captive along the Niger North axis.

A Region Under Siege

Borgu and large parts of Niger North have suffered years of insecurity, with attacks targeting passengers, market women, farmers, students and teachers.

The abduction of more than 200 pupils and staff of St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of the same Borgu Emirate, remains one of the most recent examples of the security crisis in the area.

Across Niger North, many roads have become dangerous to travel. Markets have been shut to avoid attacks, while farmers operate under fear and are often forced to pay ransom before accessing their harvests.

For people like Barrister Ahmed, his journey was not part of an occupation traditionally associated with insecurity. He was simply a public servant travelling home when he became another victim of the region’s worsening security challenges.

Security agencies said they were working on the case, while community leaders in Borgu have held prayers and made appeals. But nine months after the abduction, there has been no breakthrough.

Recently, youths in Borgu demanded urgent action over the release of residents still in captivity and raised concerns over the deteriorating security situation in the emirate.

The President of the Borgu Kingdom Youth Association, Comrade Abdullahi Yahaya Saudaki, described the situation as a worsening crisis affecting communities across the kingdom.

“The damages caused by this insecurity have been enormous. Lives have been lost, many families have been displaced, and over seven villages and towns have been totally burnt down,” Saudaki said.

He listed some of the affected communities as Konkoso, Kasuwan Daji, Pissa, Gangale, Woro, Tungan Makeri, Old Gangale, Boiya, Bakinba and Wawa.

Saudaki lamented that farmlands had been abandoned, businesses disrupted and children prevented from accessing education safely.

“Children are unable to attend school safely. Only schools in New Bussa and its environs are open, while others have remained closed since January 2026. Healthcare services have also been disrupted.

Many residents now live in constant fear of attacks and violence,” he said.

For Barrister Ahmed’s family, the wait continues — a painful reminder of a wider security crisis that has left many communities across Niger North searching for answers.