Bandits Demand N20 Million for Student Kidnapped in Zamfara on Her Way to School.
A disturbing video circulating on social media has brought fresh attention to the plight of a female student held captive by bandits in Zamfara State, with her abductors now demanding N20 million for her release.
The young woman, identified as Maryam, was seen in the footage crying and begging for help. Another lady was with her in the video as they both pleaded for Nigerians to intervene. Maryam is a Muslim lady who was kidnapped by bandits on her way to school from Sokoto to Zamfara.
According to information gathered, Maryam has been in captivity for two months now. She was heading back to her institution when she got kidnapped along the route. The bandits are insisting on N20 million before they let her go.
A teacher named Aisha Al-Mustapha, who posted the video on X, identified Maryam as her friend. She expressed deep pain over the situation, noting that Maryam’s only offence was travelling to pursue her education .
“My friend Maryam has been in captivity for the past one month. Her only sin was travelling to go to school from Zamfara to Sokoto,” she wrote. “It really pains me how banditry has been normalised and human beings are being priced like animals” .
Another X user, Augustine Mario, who also shared the video, added more troubling details. He alleged that the victims have suffered abuse while in captivity and expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of action from those responsible .
“It is painful that they sexualized them, raped them, and used them as test stories without remorse, and they can still get killed if money did not come,” Mario wrote. “It’s really hard to believe that nothing is being done to these evildoers” .
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In the footage, the two women looked visibly distressed, their clothes dirty and faces swollen from prolonged hardship in captivity. They repeatedly cried out, “Please help us. Help us out,” struggling to contain their emotions as they addressed the camera .
At one point, an armed man speaking in Hausa was heard taunting the captives, urging them to speak louder about their situation, apparently forcing them to describe their ordeal .
It seems the government of Nigeria is overwhelmed by the insecurity and have run out of what to do. The killings and abductions happen on a daily basis, and very little is done by the authorities.
Zamfara State, like many northern states, continues to face serious security challenges from armed gangs locally called “bandits” who loot villages and kidnap residents . These gangs are based in the forests straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger states, from where they launch attacks on communities.
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Despite Nigeria criminalising ransom payments in 2022 with prison terms of up to 15 years, kidnapping for ransom remains common across the country . According to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), 828 abductions were recorded in the past year, many involving multiple victims .
An analyst in Zamfara who wished to remain anonymous stated that “there is no way bandits can keep releasing people they kidnapped to the government without getting payment in return.” He added that “the government is denying what we all know — that it pays ransom when schoolchildren and high-profile victims are involved” .
The incident has heightened concerns over rising insecurity in the North-West region, particularly in Zamfara and Sokoto states, where banditry, mass abductions and attacks on communities have become regular occurrences .
Residents continue to express frustration over persistent kidnappings targeting students, commuters and rural dwellers. Despite repeated assurances from security agencies and government officials, many communities in the region still face daily threats from heavily armed criminal gangs operating with relative freedom .
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from security authorities confirming the identities of the victims or providing updates on rescue efforts . Families of victims often face long periods of uncertainty as they wait for intervention by security agencies
Bandits Demand N20 Million for Student Kidnapped in Zamfara on Her Way to School.
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