A former member of the House of Representatives from Jigawa State, Abba Anas Adamu, has died in the hands of bandits days after being abducted along the Kaduna-Abuja highway. His body was released to the family only after a ransom was paid, ending a tragic week that had thrown Jigawa’s political community into mourning.
Anas, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, was kidnapped last Wednesday alongside fellow politician Ali Tukur Gantsa while travelling from Kano to Abuja for an ADC congress. The gunmen intercepted their vehicle near Jere and marched both men into a nearby forest.
The abductors initially demanded N200 million for their release before agreeing to N50 million after negotiations. The money was delivered by Anas’s son and driver. While Gantsa was freed alive, Anas’s family was handed his lifeless body instead.
Family sources say the former lawmaker suffered from asthma and hypertension and was denied access to his medication throughout the ordeal. The stress and lack of treatment worsened his condition, leading to his death in captivity. The kidnappers reportedly concealed the news until after ransom negotiations had progressed.
Sabo Nakudu, a former Jigawa senator and ADC chieftain, confirmed the death in a Facebook post on Monday. “I condole with the family of the late Abba Anas Adamu, who was killed by gunmen after being held for days. I pray for his departed soul to rest in Jannatul Firdaus,” he wrote.
Anas represented the Guri, Kiri-Kasamma, and Birniwa federal constituency between 2007 and 2011. Colleagues describe him as a grassroots politician known for humility, integrity, and deep ties to his constituents.
The Jigawa State Police Command said it had not been officially briefed on the incident as of Monday evening. No arrests have been announced, and the ADC state chapter had yet to issue a formal statement at press time.
Anas’s remains are being conveyed to Kano for burial according to Islamic rites. His death adds to the growing list of high-profile Nigerians killed by bandits despite ransom payments, reigniting calls for urgent action on insecurity along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor.
