Bandits kill Buhari, abduct NSIEC commissioner

By Daniel Ebi, Minna 

Bandits that abducted a former Chairman of the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board and a serving Commissioner of the State Independent Electoral Commission has made good their threat to start killing their victims as the reportedly murdered  Usman Buhari.

Late Malam Usman Buhari was  kidnapped along the Mokwa New Bussa road in Niger state in September  along some prominent  individuals on their way back to from New Bussa. 

The circumstances leading to his death are still  sketchy  because  his killing  is coming  days after  his abductors  collected  huge amounts of money as Ransom for his release.

Sources disclosed  that, Usman died in the hands of his abductors last Friday after been kidnapped and tortured on Monday, September 29, 2025.

He was abducted  alongside with the Permanent Commissioner II of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), Ahmad Mohammed, and the former Chairman of the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Alhassan Bawa Niworo, and other travellers along the Mokwa–New Bussa road in Borgu.

The kidnappers are yet to release their victims weeks after seventy million naira (N70m) Ransom was said to have been paid by their families.

 Mallam Usman was a brother to Mal. Babangida Jibrin, a veteran Journalist who has worked with DW Radio and the Voice of America, Hausa Service.

The news of the death of Usman Buhari came through an emissary that took the ransom money to the kidnappers den. 

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago had recently  declared after the kidnappers  had demanded  a ransom  of Five hundred million naira  to free the victims that his administration will not  pay ransom  to bandits.

As at the time of filing this report  Niger State Government was yet to issue any statement.