Abducted ex-lawmaker dies in captivity despite payment of N50m ransom

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 - A prominent chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former member of the House of Representatives from Jigawa State, Abba Anas Adamu, has d!ed in captivity after he was abducted by kidnappers. 

Anas was kidnapped alongside another Jigawa politician, Ali Tukur Gantsa, while travelling from Kano to Abuja to attend an ADC congress last Wednesday. 

Sources close to the family told The Guardian that the abductors initially demanded a ransom of N100 million but later accepted N50 million before releasing Gantsa and handing over Anas’s corpse to his relatives.

According to the family source, the kidnappers reportedly took them into a bush around Jere area, where they demanded a huge ransom before negotiations led to a reduction in the amount.

The source further revealed to the publication that Anas, who reportedly suffered from asthma and hypertension, was left without his medication for several days during captivity, leading to a deterioration in his health condition.

Despite efforts by Gantsa to encourage and calm him, Anas reportedly became weaker before eventually dying in the kidnappers’ den.

An insider disclosed that the abductors initially hid news of his d3ath from the family before later revealing it after ransom negotiations had progressed.

The source added that Anas’s son and driver delivered the ransom payment, after which Gantsa was released while the deceased’s body was handed over to the family.

As of the time of filing this report, the Jigawa chapter of the ADC had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

Family members, however, said arrangements were ongoing to convey the late politician’s remains to Kano for burial.

Sabon Nakudu, a fellow ADC chieftain, confirmed the news in a statement on his official Facebook page on Monday afternoon.

“I condole with the family of the late Abba Anas Adamu, who was k!lled 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.