A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Abba Anas Adamu, has reportedly died while in the custody of kidnappers after being abducted along the Kano-Abuja road.
Anas was said to have been kidnapped alongside fellow Jigawa politician, Ali Tukur Gantsa, while travelling to Abuja last Wednesday to attend an ADC congress.
According to sources close to the family, the abductors initially demanded ₦100 million for their release but later agreed to accept ₦50 million after negotiations.
A family source told The Guardian that the victims were taken into a forest around the Jere axis, where the kidnappers held them for several days while ransom discussions continued.
“The kidnappers first asked for ₦100 million before they later reduced it to ₦50 million,” the source said.
The source added that Anas, who reportedly suffered from asthma and high blood pressure, was denied access to his medications during captivity, causing his health to worsen.
“He became very weak after spending days without his medication. Despite efforts by Gantsa to encourage him, his condition deteriorated until he eventually died,” the source disclosed.
Another insider revealed that the abductors initially concealed news of Anas’s death from his family until negotiations for the ransom had advanced significantly.
According to the source, Anas’s son and his driver later delivered the ransom payment, after which Gantsa was freed while the deceased politician’s body was handed over to relatives.
As of the time of filing this report, the Jigawa State chapter of the ADC had yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.
Family members, however, said preparations were ongoing to transport the late politician’s remains to Kano for burial.
Reacting to the development, ADC chieftain Sabon Nakudu expressed condolences to the bereaved family in a post shared on Facebook 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.
