An Air Traffic Control Officer (ATCO) working at an airport in Sokoto State and a farmer have appealed to their families, employers, the Nigerian government and other well-meaning Nigerians to intervene and secure their release after spending 52 days in captivity with suspected terrorists.
The victims, identified as Mujahid Ado Alkassimu, an air traffic control officer who also works as a teacher, and Sa’idu Abubakar, a farmer based in Sokoto State, made the desperate appeals in a video shared online on Sunday by conflict reporter Bakatsine.
Speaking in Hausa in the footage, the captives recounted how they were abducted by armed men while travelling from Sokoto State to Kano to visit their families.
They said they were intercepted along the road linking parts of Zamfara and Katsina states, with their accounts mentioning locations between Gusau, Tsafe and Funtua.
The video showed the two men being questioned by one of their suspected captors about their identities, places of origin and occupations as they pleaded for urgent intervention to regain their freedom.
Alkassimu, who identified himself as an Air Traffic Control Officer working at the Sokoto airport, said he had travelled to Kano to visit his family when he was abducted by the armed men.
“My name is Mujahid Ado Alkassimu. I am from Kano, but I work in Sokoto. I am a teacher, and I also work at the airport,” he said.
He explained that he had been held captive for 52 days since the incident, appealing to his family, his employing agency and the Federal Government to take the necessary steps to secure his release.
“I travelled from Sokoto to Kano to visit my family, but some bandits abducted me between Tsafe and Funtua. Today marks my 52nd day in captivity,” he said.
The captive specifically called on the agency where he works to intervene, expressing concern for his life and pleading for urgent action to bring his ordeal to an end.
“I am praying to Allah and appealing to my family, especially the agency I work for and the government, to please intervene and do whatever is necessary to help me,” Alkassimu said.
When questioned about his employment, he clarified that he worked as an Air Traffic Control Officer at the Sokoto airport.
He again appealed to his relatives, employers and the government to take the necessary measures to rescue him, stressing the urgency of his situation.
“I am appealing to Allah and asking everyone to be patient. In particular, I am appealing to the agency I work for and my family to please do what is necessary to save my life and secure my release,” he said.
“I am calling on my family, the agency I work for, and especially the government to intervene and do whatever it takes to save my life,” he added.
The second captive, Sa’idu Abubakar, who identified himself as a farmer in Sokoto State, also appealed to his relatives, friends, the state government and other Nigerians to help secure their freedom.
Responding to questions about his identity and occupation, Abubakar said he was travelling to Kano from Sokoto when they encountered the armed men.
“My name is Sa’idu Abubakar. I am a farmer in Sokoto,” he said.
“I was travelling from Sokoto to Kano when we encountered some bandits between Gusau and Tsafe, and they abducted us.”
Abubakar urged his family members, friends and other well-meaning individuals, particularly the Sokoto State Government, to intervene and help bring them home safely.
“I am therefore appealing to my friends, well-meaning individuals, my relatives, and the Sokoto State Government, by the grace of Allah, to help us and do everything possible to rescue us from this situation,” he said.
The footage captured the two men making emotional appeals for assistance while in captivity, with Alkassimu specifically calling on his employer and the Federal Government to act to secure his release.
Their appeals highlight the continuing threat posed by abductions along major highways in Nigeria’s North-West, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted travellers and other road users.
However, the circumstances surrounding their abduction, the identities of their captors and whether any contact has been established with the abductors were not independently confirmed in the information available.
As the two men continue to appeal for help after 52 days in captivity, their families, employers and the relevant authorities face renewed calls to take urgent steps to secure their safe return.