Malam Bashar Sani, a respected senior staff member and director of the Management Information System unit at the College of Education, Maru, Zamfara State, met a tragic end after being abducted by bandits on December 22, 2025. He was kidnapped alongside his wife, Rashida Bashar, and 14 other women. Despite his family's desperate efforts to raise a significant ransom, Bashar was killed by his captors after 42 days in captivity.

His younger brother, Hassan Sani, who confirmed the devastating incident to Daily Trust, revealed that Bashar was the only male among the kidnapped victims and the sole person killed. According to the women who were later released, Bashar endured severe beatings, suffering a fractured leg and multiple injuries, which ultimately led to his death while still in captivity. The bandits withheld this crucial information, and the family only learned of his demise after the women were released in February.

This was not the first encounter with bandits for Malam Bashar Sani's family. Hassan Sani, himself a former kidnap victim, recalled a previous incident in 2022 when bandits attacked Bashar’s residence and kidnapped his wives, Nafisa and Rashida. They were released after a ransom of N2 million and N30,000 worth of call cards was paid. Following this, the bandits returned to the community and attacked Hassan's house. Recognizing the persistent danger, both brothers relocated; Hassan moved to Maru city, and Bashar to Sabon Birni community.

The cycle of violence continued as Hassan was later abducted by bandits at the Emir’s palace in Yan 4 community. His freedom was secured after 62 days and a ransom payment of N3.5 million. These repeated attacks highlight a horrifying pattern, including an incident where the first wife of a police officer was killed, and his sons and second wife were kidnapped.

For Bashar's final abduction, the bandits initially demanded N20 million, a Honda motorcycle, call cards worth N200,000, and four smartphones. Even after these demands were met, they requested additional motorcycles, claiming the ones used for their operations were old. The family continued to scramble for funds, eventually providing N150,000 in call cards and three 25-litre jerrycans of petrol for the transportation of the kidnapped victims. After complying with all demands, the family was instructed to retrieve their loved ones from Gidan Kano along the Talata Mafara – Sokoto road. It was there they received the grim news that Bashar, along with all other men, including a mentally challenged person, had been killed. Bashar had reportedly died 42 days prior.

Despite the profound pain, Hassan found solace in his faith, describing his brother's death as Shahada (martyrdom) and noting that Bashar's body was found fresh and not decomposed. Ustaz Ibrahim Hamida, a close friend and member of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria, Maru area council, underscored the immense suffering of Bashar's family. He explained that the ransom demands were exceptionally high because Bashar had been kidnapped alongside the family of a police officer, Hussaini Bagega, among others. Ustaz Ibrahim remembered Bashar as a hardworking man and a serious farmer who had sold all his assets to meet previous ransom demands, bearing the heavy weight of his family’s responsibilities.