KEY POINTS

• Former APC chairman in Kebbi’s Koko/Besse LGA, Alhaji Muhammadu Mai Barga Besse, has reportedly died while in terrorists’ captivity.
• Kebbi Police said the report is still being verified and no official confirmation has been made.
• The development comes weeks after another elderly abductee held alongside him reportedly died in captivity.

Alhaji Muhammadu Mai Barga Besse, the immediate past chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Koko/Besse Local Government Area of Kebbi State, has reportedly died while being held by terrorists, weeks after his abduction.

Reports of his death surfaced on Tuesday following claims by security analysts and conflict monitors in northern Nigeria that the former APC chieftain died in captivity.

One of the first reports came from popular conflict reporter D English Alhaji, who announced the development on Facebook.

According to him, Mai Barga Besse was among two elderly captives who appeared in viral videos released by terrorists from a forest camp believed to be located around the Birnin Gwari axis. The report stated that the former APC chairman had died before regaining his freedom.

Despite the widespread reports, the Kebbi State Police Command said it was still verifying the information.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, said the command had not yet confirmed the development.

“Still verifying please, will update you as soon as I get all the facts,” he said.

The uncertainty surrounding the report has left family members, political associates, and residents awaiting official confirmation from security authorities.

Second Captive Also Reportedly Died

The reported death comes shortly after news emerged that another elderly man abducted alongside Mai Barga Besse had also died while in captivity.

The deceased, identified as Yahya, was said to have been a close associate of the former APC chairman. His death heightened concerns over the condition of the remaining hostage at the time.

Both men had appeared in a distressing video released by their captors, pleading for help and calling on authorities and community leaders to secure their release.

In the viral video obtained shortly after their abduction, Mai Barga Besse appealed passionately for intervention, describing the difficult conditions they were enduring in the terrorists’ camp.

He accused some community leaders and concerned individuals of abandoning efforts to rescue them and urged Nigerians to assist in securing their freedom.

The former APC chairman disclosed that both he and his fellow captive were battling illnesses while being forced to endure harsh conditions in the forest.

According to him, despite their advanced age and deteriorating health, they were compelled to trek long distances alongside their abductors.

At one point, he lamented that if nobody was willing to help them, they should be informed so they could abandon hope of survival.