Former Niger SUBEB Chairman still with bandits after payment of N30m ransom

 More than two months after his abduction, the former Chairman of the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Alhassan Bawa Niworo, remains in captivity as bandits continue to escalate their ransom demands.

Niworo, aged over 70, was abducted on Monday, September 29, 2025, along with a Commissioner of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), Barrister Ahmed, and several other travellers on the New Bussa–Mokwa Road while travelling to Minna.

Seventy-three days after the incident, his family says they have exhausted all financial avenues while struggling to meet the terrorists’ shifting demands. 

According to his eldest son, Saifullahi Alhassan Bawa, the family raised the initial N30 million ransom through a combination of a N15 million bank loan, proceeds from the sale of farm produce, and contributions from friends and relatives.

However, after receiving the money, the abductors have now demanded an additional N120 million, a figure the family says is impossible for them to meet.

Speaking to Daily Trust, Saifullahi said the abductors recently allowed his father to speak briefly with the family.

“I spoke with the abductors recently, and one of our aunties also spoke with them. They are mounting pressure on us. Our father spoke with us in tears, asking us to understand his plight. We were all crying,” he said.

He added that Alhaji Alhassan Bawa Niworo, who suffers from hypertension and an ulcer, requires daily medication and is at grave risk in captivity.

“This is beyond our control. We appeal to the Niger State Government to help secure his release. Even if it requires borrowing, we are ready to pay after he is freed. We already have a debt of N15 million,” he added.

Saifullahi also lamented the lack of official support, noting that neither the police nor the state government had contacted the family since the abduction, despite his father being on official duty in Minna at the time.

“His car and documents are still at the Ibi Police Station. The family is already financially overstretched. We now rely on support from individuals to feed,” he said.

In response, the spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, stated that the police and military were engaged in joint operations across the state to rescue all abducted victims. He provided no further details on the progress of the effort.

The situation has sparked renewed concerns over rising insecurity in Niger State and the increasing financial and emotional toll on families of kidnap victims.

Read Also: Bandits free man after family pays N30m ransom, weeks after killing his wife in captivity