Residents of Sokoto State were jolted on Wednesday morning by the sudden disappearance of 18-year-old Hamdiyya Sidi Bello Hamza, a popular TikToker and government critic, who was scheduled to appear in court the same day.

Miss Hamza, who is currently facing trial for alleged public incitement, was reported missing by her lawyer, Barrister Abba Hikima, just minutes before proceedings were set to resume at the Chief Magistrate Court in Gwiwa, Sokoto.

According to Barrister Hikima, the young woman had left her residence around 10am on Tuesday to purchase food items, a routine she reportedly observed to cook for her legal team after court sittings, but never returned since then.

The lawyer, while confirming the incident via a Facebook post, did not disclose the exact location where the alleged disappearance occurred.

“We have informed the police about the development,” he wrote.

However, in a dramatic turn of events, nine hours later, Barrister Hikima revealed in another social media post that Hamdiyya had been located at the General Hospital in Bakura, Zamfara State, in critical condition.

He stated that security operatives were with her, suggesting she had been abducted.

A medical staffer at the hospital, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Hamdiyya’s arrival, stating she was brought in by a member of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards and subsequently handed over to the police after receiving emergency treatment.

“It appeared she escaped from captivity. She was disoriented and said she had been injected by her abductors,” the source said.

Further accounts from hospital personnel and local sources suggested that Hamdiyya had been released by one of her captors around 3am on Tuesday.

She reportedly ran until she reached Yar-Geda village in Talata Mafara Local Government Area, where she encountered a resident who later alerted local vigilantes.

“She was found without a headscarf or shoes and appeared traumatised. A local farmer mistook her for a freed kidnap victim and handed her over to his brother, a community guard, who brought her to Bakura,” another source at the hospital added.

Hamdiyya reportedly told medical staff she was abducted by two men in police uniforms while returning from her errand.

She alleged that a substance was rubbed on her face, causing her to lose consciousness, after which she was dumped in a remote location.

While the police in both Sokoto and Zamfara states have yet to provide official statements, an officer familiar with the case, who spoke anonymously, dismissed the incident as a staged abduction.

“It’s a ploy to avoid court proceedings. How could someone allegedly kidnapped in Sokoto suddenly surface in Bakura under such circumstances?” the officer said.

Who is Hamdiyya Sidi Bello?

Hamdiyya, a native of Munki village in Wurno Local Government Area, is a social media personality and Kannywood actress.

She was arraigned in 2024 after posting a viral video criticising the Sokoto State government over worsening insecurity and the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

In the video, allegedly recorded in Sabon Birnin Daji, she accused the state government of neglect and urged displaced residents to occupy unallocated government housing.

The video, which featured several women and children, sparked controversy.

Subsequently, Hamdiyya issued an apology, retracting her statements and pleading for forgiveness. 

She claimed her comments were made in frustration and due to her youthful inexperience.

However, in a later interview with Human Rights Online TV (Bereke Family), she retracted her apology, alleging it was made under duress and that she had been tortured by vigilantes and police.

Residents, victims respond

In the aftermath of her initial video, some residents of Sabon Birnin Daji accused Hamdiyya of deceit, claiming she had promised them aid and recorded them without consent.

“She encouraged us to occupy government properties, saying help would come, but nothing did,” Hauwa’u, a local woman, in a video response, said.

Hamdiyya is currently facing charges of inciting public disturbance at the Chief Magistrate Court in Gwiwa.

Government’s response

Reacting to the incident, Abubakar Bawa, spokesman for Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu, denied any involvement by the state government in Hamdiyya’s legal troubles.

“We have no issue with Hamdiyya. The state government neither instituted the case nor is it involved in any legal process against her,” Bawa stated, adding that “People should find out who exactly took her to court and why.”

He added that the governor remains focused on ensuring the security and welfare of Sokoto residents.

As of press time, efforts to reach the spokespersons for the police commands in Sokoto and Zamfara for official comments were unsuccessful.

Relative speaks on Hamdiyya’s ordeal, denies torture claims

Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, widely known as Binti Hijazi and a relative of the recently rescued Hamdiyya, has provided new details surrounding Hamdiyya’s abduction and rescue in Zamfara State.

Speaking to the BBC, Hijazi confirmed that Hamdiyya was not physically harmed during her captivity and is currently en route to Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, where she is expected to meet with the state Commissioner of Police.

“I have spoken with her. She is being taken to Gusau by the police to meet with the Zamfara State Commissioner of Police,” Hijazi said.

Addressing circulating rumours that Hamdiyya was tortured by her abductors, Hijazi dismissed the claims, stating that no physical violence was inflicted on her. “They didn’t beat her. They only gave her an intravenous injection,” she noted.

Providing further insight into the abduction, Hijazi explained that Hamdiyya was kidnapped while returning from the market after purchasing food items. 

According to her, the kidnappers initially took Hamdiyya to a house where she was injected before being moved into a car. 

She was then moved to an undisclosed location in Zamfara State.

“They first took her to a house and injected her. Later, she was placed in a car that transported her to a location in Zamfara. From there, two men led her deep into the forest and handed her over to a bandit,” she alleged.

As of the time of reporting, there has been no official statement from the police regarding the circumstances of her abduction.

However, Hijazi expressed hope that more information would be made available soon.