‘Despite my age, they force us to trek long distances’, Former Kebbi APC Chairman, speaks in bandits’ den

A video circulating online has shown two elderly men reportedly held by suspected bandits in Kebbi State, appealing for urgent rescue as their health conditions worsen in captivity.

One of the captives is said to be a former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Koko-Besse Local Government Area, while the second man was identified as Yahya. 

The footage, shared by conflict reporter English Alhaji, shows both men pleading with their families, community leaders, and government authorities to intensify efforts toward securing their release.

In the video, the former APC chairman stated that both men are suffering from health challenges and that their conditions have significantly deteriorated while in captivity. 

He added that they rely on medication and are struggling to cope with the situation.

He said: “Yahya is ill, and I am also not well. I have been on medication for a long time. Our health is getting worse in this place.”

The captives also lamented that despite their age and medical conditions, they had been forced to trek long distances through forest terrain alongside their abductors. 

Yahya separately called for urgent intervention, stressing that they had spent an extended period in captivity without rescue.

They appealed directly to their families, associates, and authorities to act quickly to secure their freedom and reunite them with their loved ones.

The video has reignited public concern over persistent kidnapping incidents in parts of northern Nigeria, with many expressing worry over the safety of rural communities. 

As of press time, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident or the condition of the victims.

See the video here.