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HOW MY FAMILY AND I ESCAPED A BANDIT KIDNAP ATTEMPT

Published by admin on April 26th, 2026.

HOW MY FAMILY AND I ESCAPED A BANDIT KIDNAP ATTEMPT

I have had several close encounters with bandits in the past, especially on roads and in public spaces while traveling alone. But this time, it was different—it involved my entire family, and it almost ended in tragedy.

On the 18th of November, 2025, my family and I narrowly escaped a planned kidnapping attempt at our residence in Zamfara State.

At that time, my family was living in Zamfara while I managed my business from Kano. I usually traveled home about twice a month to check on them and spend time together.

We had been struggling to secure a new home after our landlord sold our previous house and asked us to move out. Finding accommodation in Zamfara was not easy due to rising insecurity, as many rural communities had been abandoned because of repeated bandit attacks. This forced many families into the state capital, making housing both scarce and expensive.

After several efforts, my family found a three-bedroom apartment in Tsauni along the Sokoto bypass. Since I was in Kano, my wife showed me the place via video call. Before agreeing, I advised her to verify the safety of the area from people living around.

She later confirmed that some of her colleagues lived nearby, so I personally reached out to one of them. I was assured that the area was relatively calm and even close to a police station. Based on this information, I transferred the payment to the agent.

We then prepared to move in.

On the day of relocation, I traveled down from Kano early in the morning to inspect the house myself. However, immediately I arrived, I felt uneasy about the environment. From experience and knowledge of how bandit operations work in Northern Nigeria, something about the area raised concern in my spirit. Unfortunately, payment had already been made, and we had moved in.

At first, I planned to stay only a few days, but that uneasy feeling persisted. I eventually extended my stay, choosing to remain with my family for another week because I could not explain the discomfort I felt.

Then came the day everything changed.

That morning, my children had gone to school and my wife had gone to work, leaving me alone at home. Two unknown men came to our gate and knocked.

When I went out, they claimed they were looking for the former occupant of the house. I told them I was a new tenant and advised them to check with the landlord. They left, but I immediately became suspicious. Something inside me strongly warned that we should not spend the night in that house.

I called my wife and told her we would not sleep there again that night. She was surprised and asked why, and I explained the strange encounter. Though she did not fully understand my concern, I had already made up my mind.

I quickly reached out to a friend who had space in his compound and arranged for my family to stay there temporarily. I also instructed my son to organize a vehicle for our movement.

By afternoon, my wife and children returned home, and we began packing our belongings, waiting for the vehicle. By evening, the driver had not arrived, and later informed us he could only come the next morning.

As we returned from evening prayer at the mosque, I noticed unfamiliar faces around the area. My suspicion grew stronger, and I immediately told my family we would not remain in the house that night.

Since we could not move everything at once, I quietly began relocating my family in groups—two persons at a time—escorting them to the main road before returning for others. I repeated this until everyone was safely out.

To avoid raising suspicion, I returned alone to the house, stayed briefly, locked up, and then joined them at the roadside. It was around 8 p.m.

Barely ten minutes after we gathered, my son received a call from a friend living nearby. The boy asked where we were. When my son explained that we had left the house, he revealed that armed bandits had just attacked our compound.

According to him, three armed men had jumped over the fence into our residence. When neighbors noticed, they raised alarm and ran toward the police station. The attackers, realizing the house was empty and sensing something was wrong, fled over the fence and reportedly kidnapped some people nearby during their escape.

The next morning, I reported the incident at the police station and informed them we were vacating the property permanently, requesting a refund from the landlord, as we had stayed there for only two weeks.

That was how my family and I narrowly escaped a kidnapping attempt—and by God’s mercy, we survived.