In 2019, my brothers were kidnapped and ₦300M was demanded. I told them to kill them if they like, because we can’t continue paying ransoms. Three months later, they were released for free — Zamfara Governor, Dauda Lawal Blows Hot

An X post quoting Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has gone viral after he described refusing to pay a ₦300 million ransom for brothers allegedly kidnapped in 2019, saying they were released free after three months.

The quote, shared by @TrendingEx, is being used to explain why kidnap and ransom stories trend so often in Nigeria, especially in Zamfara, one of the states worst hit by banditry.

In the post, Lawal is quoted saying he rejected the ₦300M demand for his “brothers” in 2019. According to the quote, the men were freed after three months without any money changing hands. @TrendingEx tied the claim to Zamfara’s current security situation, noting that authorities sometimes credit releases to dialogue or military pressure rather than ransom payments.

The post quickly racked up thousands of views, with many users using it to debate government policy on ransom and negotiation with bandits.

Zamfara has faced severe bandit attacks for years. Abductions for ransom are common, and state and federal authorities have swung between military operations, peace talks, and public pledges of “no ransom.” Officials often argue that refusing to pay is meant to break the kidnap-for-profit cycle, though families on the ground say reality is more complicated.

Recent replies and fact-checkers have questioned key details of the viral quote.

First, public records show Governor Dauda Lawal has only one officially known sibling, a woman. The claim about “brothers” kidnapped in 2019 does not match that record.

Second, security sources and past reporting from Zamfara note a pattern: bandits have, at times, forced victims to falsely claim family or political ties to prominent figures to increase leverage and ransom demands. Analysts say such claims can be used to pressure government or attract attention.

The governor’s office has not issued a new statement on the viral X post as of press time.

The post highlights how kidnap narratives spread fast in Nigeria, where ransom is both a security and political issue. In Zamfara, releases without payment are sometimes credited to security pressure or dialogue, but verifying individual cases is difficult because families, victims, and armed groups rarely speak on record…See More