Kidnappers demand ₦250m ransom for Ex-NYSC DG, Tsiga

Gunmen who abducted a former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Maharazu Tsiga, have demanded ₦250 million for his release, a family source said on Sunday.

Tsiga, a retired brigadier-general of the Nigerian Army, was kidnapped from his home in Tsiga town, Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at night.

The attackers also kidnapped several other residents as they raided multiple communities in the neighboring Kankara Local Government Area.

According to the family source, the kidnappers made contact on Friday, insisting on the ransom before negotiations could begin.

Confirming the incident, Katsina police spokesperson Abubakar Sadiq said officers responded to reports of an attack in Tsiga but arrived after the gunmen had left.

“Unfortunately, before the arrival of the operatives, the hoodlums had already succeeded in their mission,” he said.

The attack left two residents injured, while one of the assailants was reportedly shot dead by his group.

Katsina, like other Northwestern states, has seen repeated attacks by criminal gangs who raid villages, abduct residents, and demand ransoms.

A federal lawmaker representing Bakori/Danja Federal Constituency, Abdullahi Balarabe, described Tsiga’s abduction as concerning and called on security agencies to intensify efforts to secure his release.