Kidnappers Return Abducted Kaduna Farmer’s Corpse After Collecting ₦56m Ransom

A Kaduna farmer, Ibrahim Kadafa, popularly known as Ibro, has reportedly been killed by his abductors despite his family paying ₦56 million ransom and providing additional valuables to secure his freedom.

Kadafa was kidnapped alongside his friend, Mustapha Shelpidi, on October 28, 2026, while the two men were harvesting soybeans at their farm around Alheri Camp, Kilometre 30, along the Kaduna-Abuja highway.

Reports indicate that Kadafa, who worked in Abuja, had travelled to supervise activities on his farm when armed men stormed the area and abducted both men, taking them to an undisclosed location.

Following the abduction, the kidnappers reportedly demanded an initial ransom of ₦100 million, which was later reduced to ₦80 million after negotiations with the victims’ families.

In a desperate effort to secure Kadafa’s release, his family eventually raised and paid ₦56 million, alongside three brand-new Samsung mobile phones and a ₦20,000 airtime recharge card.

However, the family reportedly received a devastating response when they went to collect him on Wednesday, November 11. Instead of releasing him alive, the kidnappers handed over his lifeless body.

According to accounts attributed to family sources, Kadafa sustained a gunshot injury to his leg during the abduction, reportedly while attempting to escape.

He was allegedly left without medical attention throughout approximately two weeks in captivity. His relatives suspect that complications arising from the untreated injury may have contributed to his death, although the precise cause has not been independently established.

The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, while the whereabouts and condition of his abducted companion, Shelpidi, have also not been confirmed in the available reports.

The incident has renewed concerns about the worsening security situation along the Kaduna-Abuja corridor, where farmers, commuters and residents have repeatedly faced threats of kidnapping and attacks by armed groups.

It has also highlighted the growing financial and emotional burden placed on families forced to negotiate with kidnappers, often raising enormous sums of money in the hope of bringing their loved ones home safely.

A report by the Lagos-based security research organisation SBM Intelligence, cited by the Associated Press, estimated that kidnappers collected ₦7.78 billion in ransom payments between July 2025 and June 2026, following thousands of reported abductions across Nigeria.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no publicly confirmed police statement establishing the circumstances of Kadafa’s death or announcing the arrest of those responsible.

His family is left mourning after reportedly paying millions of naira and providing additional valuables in the hope of securing his safe return.