Niger SDP governorship candidate regains freedom after paying N4m ransom
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate for the 2019 general election, Alhaji Mahmood Sani, has regained freedom from kidnappers, who held him for six days.
Sani was kidnapped along the Kaduna-Abuja Road when he was travelling to Zamfara State.
It was gathered that family and friends contributed N4 million to secure his freedom.
Recounting his experience to our reporter in Minna, Sani said he was on his way from Bida in Niger State to Zamfara State when he and his driver were stopped some kilometres to Kaduna State and were taken into the bush by gunmen.
“By the time we got to Dikko junction, it was already getting late, but I told my driver to drive to Kaduna so that we could spend the night there and proceed to Zamfara the next day.
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“Some kilometres to Kaduna, in-between two police checkpoints, some people waved us to stop and when we did, we were dragged out of the car and taken into the bush.
“We spent about six days inside the bush before we were released after the payment of N4 million. The ransom was initially set at N400million, but after negotiation, it was reduced to N4million, which was raised by family, friends and well- wishers.”
The governorship candidate, who did not speak much about his experience in the bush with his abductors, described his experience as very traumatic and unpalatable.
“We were beaten up. I still have bruises on my body. The experience was not palatable at all; it was a very bitter experience that I do not wish anybody to experience.
“Imagine seeing people brandishing AK47 guns at all time, threatening to kill me if the ransom was not paid. The experience was very traumatic that I do not want to speak about it.”