Zamfara University Student Dies After Ransom Paid

Captivity Claims Life of Zamfara Student Despite Ransom

In a tragic incident in Zamfara State, Nigeria, 21-year-old Zarah Abubakar Shehu, a 300-level student at the Federal University Gusau, has died in captivity despite the payment of a ₦10 million ransom.

Zarah was abducted alongside her two siblings on November 3, 2024, from their home in the Damba area of Gusau. The kidnappers initially demanded ₦35 million for their release but later agreed to ₦10 million after negotiations.

After receiving the ransom, the abductors imposed additional conditions, including the provision of four motorcycles and four cartons of engine oil, before releasing the hostages. Despite efforts to meet these demands, Zarah’s captors informed her family that she had died and had been buried two days earlier.