In a tragic turn of events, an Abuja-based businessman, Muhammad Shuaibu, and his 19-year-old daughter, Fatima Muhammad, were killed by kidnappers despite the family paying a ₦12 million ransom for their release.
Fatima, a student at the University of Abuja, reportedly lost her life during captivity, while her father died after falling ill while still in the hands of the abductors.
The businessman, a trader at Dei-Dei Modern Market in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, was abducted along with his two daughters on October 3, 2025. Armed assailants invaded their home in Zhidu community, Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State, and took them into the bush.
A family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that the kidnappers demanded ransom in installments, which the family paid in three tranches—₦6 million, ₦4 million, and a final ₦2 million—totaling ₦12 million.
Despite the payments, the victims were not freed. According to the source, Fatima was killed around three months ago after the kidnappers accused her of being “stubborn,” even as ransom negotiations continued.
After the final installment, the kidnappers reportedly informed the family that Muhammad Shuaibu had died due to illness while in captivity.
The family, devastated by the loss, had sold several assets to meet the ransom demands, including Shuaibu’s shop at Dei-Dei Modern Market, his car, and a sachet water production machine. Attempts to sell the family home were unsuccessful.
“This has left us completely shattered,” the family member said, describing the ordeal as a devastating loss despite exhausting all efforts to secure their loved ones’ release.
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