Armed Men Seize Businessman and His Two Daughters in Niger State
Sleep was abruptly stolen from the quiet community of Zhidi in Niger State when unknown gunmen stormed the area under the cover of darkness. What began as a calm night soon turned into chaos, leaving residents terrified and one family devastated.
The attack occurred around midnight on Friday, October 2, when the armed assailants invaded the home of a local businessman, Muhammad Shuaibu. They reportedly broke in through the backyard, destroying a burglar-proof padlock before forcing their way inside. In the confusion, they abducted the businessman along with his two daughters — one a 200-level university student and the other a younger sibling.
According to a relative, the intruders also forced their way into the room where Shuaibu’s wife was sleeping. Shocked to find them standing over her, she ran to her husband’s room, but the attackers quickly gathered all the family members into the sitting room. They threatened to take everyone away until the wife, pleading desperately, begged them to spare her and her infant. Her cries apparently moved them, as they eventually left her and the baby behind.
The gunmen reportedly seized the family’s phones before demanding food, which the terrified occupants couldn’t provide. As panic spread through the community, the few officers stationed at the local police outpost were unable to mount an effective response. Attempts to reach the Dei-Dei Division yielded little, as officers there insisted the matter fell outside their jurisdiction since the area lies in Niger State rather than within the FCT boundary.
As of Monday afternoon, no contact had been made with the kidnappers, leaving relatives and neighbors anxious for any sign of the missing trio. The community now lives in fear, hoping the victims return safely while questioning the apparent security vacuum in the region.
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