Bandits have killed the Director of Works and Housing of Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State, Mallam Yakubu Abdullahi Bala, after collecting N7m ransom from his family.

It was gathered that Bala was abducted from his home in Mariga town over 20 days ago.

Some of the kidnapped victims who were released confirmed to the family of Mallam Bala that the bandits killed him three days after he was abducted, adding that he was buried in their presence.

The sister of the deceased, Hajia Hadiza Abdullahi, who confirmed the news to THISDAY on Tuesday, September 5, disclosed that the late Director was in his room with his two wives, one of who was heavily pregnant, when the bandits invaded his house.

Abdullahi explained that three days after her brother and others were kidnapped, the bandits called for a ransom of N50 million.

“We raised millions but the bandits did not release my brother. There were relations of four others kidnapped who were able to contribute N2 million each and they took to the abductors in the forest before their family members were released,” she said.

“It was when these people came from the forest that we were told that my brother had been killed by the gunmen two days after he was kidnapped,” Abdullahi said.

According to her, the released victims disclosed that her brother was tied to a tree and the terrorists broke his two legs before he died adding that they were told that he was buried in a shallow grave in the forest.

She lamented that her brother left behind two wives and 10 children saying that the family are having a hard time coming to terms with his death.