A disturbing video circulating on social media has allegedly shown a former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Koko/Besse Local Government Area of Kebbi State and his associate appealing for help while being held captive by suspected bandits.
The footage, reportedly recorded inside the Birnin Gwari forest, has drawn widespread attention and renewed concerns about the persistent insecurity affecting communities across northwestern Nigeria.
In the video, the two men appear surrounded by heavily armed individuals believed to be bandits. However, the authenticity of the footage and the exact circumstances under which it was recorded have not been independently verified.
One of the captives, identified as a former APC chairman in Koko/Besse LGA, appealed to relatives, associates and authorities to intervene, claiming that efforts to secure their release had stalled.
“You can see the humiliating condition we are subjected to in this place. Therefore, we need you to help mobilise and get us out of here, please help us in the name of God,” he said in the video.
The former party official expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of progress in negotiations for their freedom, suggesting that he and his companion had been left without hope.
“If you have given up on us and want us dead, then be straightforward about it so we can give up and tell you our final goodbye,” he added.
According to the captives, both men are struggling with health challenges while enduring harsh conditions in the forest. The former APC chairman said they have been forced to trek long distances through difficult terrain alongside their captors despite their age and medical conditions.
His associate, identified as Yahya, also made an emotional appeal for urgent assistance, saying the pair had been abandoned in the forest and urgently needed support to regain their freedom.
“Please, for God’s sake, help us end this captivity so we can return to our families. Mobilise the people to help raise the required ransom. Do that in the name of God,” Yahya pleaded.
At one point in the footage, a suspected bandit reportedly asked the former APC chairman to identify himself and explain his status. The elderly man responded by stating that he had previously served as APC chairman in Koko/Besse Local Government Area but no longer held the position.
He also described the difficult living conditions in the camp, claiming that captives share the environment with dangerous reptiles and snakes.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Kebbi State Government nor security agencies had officially confirmed the identities of the individuals seen in the video or provided details regarding their situation.
The emergence of the footage has once again highlighted concerns over banditry, kidnapping and insecurity in parts of northwestern Nigeria, where communities continue to face threats from armed criminal groups.
