Tinubu’s NSA under fire as Bandits Slaughter NYSC Member Abba after collecting N10 Million Ransom
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Tragedy After Torture: Corps Member Murdered Despite Family Meeting Ransom Demand
In a harrowing conclusion to a six-week ordeal, bandits have killed an abducted National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Musa Usman Abba, despite his family paying a ransom of N10 million for his release.
The development, confirmed by security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, has sent shockwaves across the nation and ignited a firestorm of anger directed at the highest levels of Nigeria’s security establishment .
Sources within the family disclosed that communication with the abductors ceased abruptly after the ransom was delivered. The kidnappers, who had earlier demanded additional items including motorcycles following the payment, went completely silent, deepening fears about the young corps member’s fate .
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The Ordeal: From Abduction to Torture
Abba, a graduate of Federal University Gusau where he studied Plant Science and Biotechnology, was kidnapped on January 9, 2026, while traveling from Gusau in Zamfara State to Sokoto State.
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The kidnappers initially demanded N50 million before reducing the figure to N10 million. As relatives struggled to gather funds, the situation took a darker turn. A deeply disturbing video later emerged showing the young corps member in visible distress, pleading desperately for help as he endured brutal abuse in captivity .
“Please help me, for God’s sake, please help my life. I may soon die in this situation,” he cried in the footage, gasping between blows .
He made repeated emotional religious appeals, begging, “For the sake of Allah, please help me. For the sake of Prophet Muhammad, please help me.” His pleas went unanswered .
News of his abduction spread rapidly across social media, triggering widespread concern. What started as a private family appeal turned into a public fundraising effort, with over N8.5 million reportedly raised from concerned Nigerians . However, in a troubling twist, the kidnappers allegedly increased their demand after noticing the public support .
The Final Blow
Despite the family raising and paying the N10 million ransom, all communication with the abductors stopped.
Given the situation, the family has concluded arrangements to observe his funeral prayer in absentia in accordance with Islamic rites. The Janaza prayer (Gha’ib) is scheduled to hold on Friday, March 6 .
“Since receiving the N10 million ransom payment, Abba’s abductors have completely cut off all communication with the family,” family sources said .
The family expressed profound gratitude to those who supported them during the ordeal, stating, “If he has passed on, may Allah forgive his shortcomings, accept his good deeds and grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus” .
The Brothers’ Controversy: Ribadu Under Fire
Abba’s death comes just days after National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu made controversial remarks that have now come back to haunt him with tragic resonance.
Speaking at a High-Level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting, Ribadu stated, “Whether we like it or not, there are terrorists in Nigeria who want peace. They are our brothers. We must seek for dialogue and understanding”
The timing could not be more devastating. Days after Ribadu asked Nigerians to see terrorists as “brothers,” a young Nigerian serving his fatherland has been killed by those very “brothers” after collecting N10 million from his struggling family .
Social media has erupted with a single demand: “NSA Nuhu Ribadu, see the handiwork of your brothers.”
A Nation Asks: What Dialogue?
Northern political commentator Abu Amir captured the public sentiment, reacting to Ribadu’s statement by saying, “In a nutshell, what the NSA implied in that video is, bandits are his brothers, so he can’t kill them. I think now this tells us everything about the escalation of banditry in the north. God have mercy” .
Demola Olarewaju, Special Assistant on Digital Media Strategy to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, offered a scathing critique: “This kind of reasoning from Tinubu’s NSA is exactly why they’re paying huge ransoms to terrorists and bandits and signalling to Northern villages under siege to give in to bandits’ demands” .
Critics argue that when the state’s chief security officer uses the language of kinship to describe those who butcher, bomb, and terrorize, it strips the state of its most vital asset: deterrence .
The Geography of Grief
As columnist Oto’ Drama wrote in a scathing op-ed, “The hallowed streets of Kano, Kaduna, and Sokoto recently witnessed thousands waving Iranian flags following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Yet, only days prior, the village of Tungan Dutse in Zamfara was transformed into a literal slaughterhouse where over 50 Nigerians were butchered in their sleep. For them, there were no banners. For them, there were no protest marches” .
Now, add Abba to that list of those for whom there are no banners.
A Call for Accountability
Legal analyst Evans Ufeli Esq. posed a question that now echoes with renewed urgency: “When a nation’s steward reaches for the language of kinship to describe those who have butchered, bombed, and terrorized, the words do not land lightly. To call perpetrators ‘brothers’ is to set memory against mercy” .
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For the family of Musa Usman Abba, mercy died in a forest when their N10 million ran out and their son’s captors—Ribadu’s “brothers”—cut off communication and, presumably, his life.
What Happens Next
| Question | Status |
|---|---|
| Abba’s fate | Family believes he is dead; preparing Janaza prayer |
| Ransom paid | N10 million |
| Communication | Cut off after payment |
| NSA Ribadu’s response | Yet to address Abba’s case |
| Public demand | Investigation and accountability |
Ejes Gist News Nigeria will continue to follow this story and demand answers from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
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