Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, says he does not have male siblings, reacting to viral online video clips where two kidnap victims claimed they are his younger brothers.

In the video clips, with two hooded gunmen in the background, the victims were apparently forced to claim a blood relationship with the governor.

They were asked to contact the governor to release money to facilitate their freedom. “Otherwise, we will kill you,” the hoodlums said.

Reacting to the development, the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, described the incident as a “new ploy by bandits to gain attention and bolster the sagging morale of their members.”

“The government is currently taking steps to ensure the victims’ safe rescue and to reunite them with their families.

“Upon watching the video clips critically, one can see how distressed the kidnap victims were. I believe this is a new format adopted by the bandits. However, none of the kidnap victims is related to the Governor. The Governor has only one sibling — a woman.”