A POPULAR Islamic cleric and member of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah wa Ikamatis-Sunnah (JIBWIS), Sheikh Muhammad Maibarga, has died in bandits’ captivity after being abducted in Kebbi State.
News Point Nigeria reports that the late cleric was kidnapped alongside his friend, a former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Koko/Besse Local Government Area of the state, in an incident that sparked concern among residents and members of the Islamic community.
His death was confirmed on Wednesday amid reports that family members and associates were making frantic efforts to secure his release from captivity.
A video allegedly released by the abductors before his death showed the cleric in a visibly deteriorating health condition, raising fears over his wellbeing while negotiations for his freedom continued.
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi State Command, SP Bashir Usman, said authorities were aware of reports concerning the cleric’s worsening health and eventual death in captivity.
“We are aware of reports concerning the victim’s deteriorating condition and death in captivity,” Usman told journalists on Wednesday.
A family friend of the deceased, Usman Aliyu, said relatives were still making efforts to meet the demands of the kidnappers when the tragic news of his death emerged.
According to him, negotiations for the cleric’s release were ongoing and the family had been working to raise the money demanded by the bandits.
“They are still looking for money demanded by the bandits so that he could be released to them, but we are devastated by the news of his death in the hands of those that kidnapped him,” Aliyu said.
Aliyu added that efforts were actively underway to secure Sheikh Maibarga’s freedom before his health reportedly deteriorated, ultimately leading to his death in the bandits’ den.
The incident has triggered grief among family members, associates, followers and residents, with many mourning the loss of the respected Islamic scholar whose death occurred while release efforts were still ongoing.
The late cleric’s death also underscores the growing security concerns in parts of the North-West, where kidnapping-for-ransom and banditry continue to pose serious threats to lives and livelihoods.
