I Made It Clear To My Family, I Won’t Pay 600M Ransom, The Bandits Then Asked For 150k Airtime-Gov.Lawal

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has disclosed that he refused to pay the ₦600 million ransom demanded by bandits for the release of his two brothers, who were abducted from their home.

In a video shared by Channels TV, Lawal explained that the kidnappers initially demanded ₦300 million for each of his brothers, bringing the total amount to ₦600 million.

According to the governor, he rejected the demand because he believed paying ransom would provide criminals with financial resources and encourage them to continue carrying out kidnappings.

Lawal said he made his position clear to members of his family from the beginning, telling them that he would not agree to the ransom demand.

He also said he discussed the situation with his mother and explained why he was unwilling to pay. According to him, he told her that even if the family paid the money and secured his brother’s release, they could not determine how long the person would remain alive.

The governor said his belief that ransom payments could strengthen criminal groups further influenced his decision not to negotiate with the kidnappers or meet their financial demands.

Lawal explained that the bandits eventually became frustrated by his refusal to comply with their demands. After keeping his brothers for some time, he said they drastically reduced their request and eventually asked for a ₦150,000 recharge card instead.

Despite the reduction in their demand, Lawal said he still refused to personally provide the airtime. He noted, however, that another member of the family eventually paid for the recharge card.

The governor maintained that his position was that neither public funds nor personal resources should be used to financially support criminals. He said anyone who disagreed with his decision was free to take whatever steps they considered necessary to secure the release of his abducted brothers.

“I made it very clear that look, this is my stand, but if anybody feels otherwise, he’s free to go and pay and bring Yusuf and Abba; eventually they got tired. And the last thing they asked for was a 150,000 naira recharge card,” Lawal said.

His account reflects his stated opposition to ransom payments and his belief that paying kidnappers could help finance further criminal activities. According to Lawal, he maintained his refusal to meet the initial ₦600 million demand even though the victims were members of his immediate family.