Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A farmer from Niger State, Aliyu Alaramma Kawon Kontagora, has recounted a harrowing ordeal in which he was shot in the head, tortured for five days, and held captive alongside his younger brother by gunmen linked to the notorious bandit kingpin Dogo Gide, before escaping without paying a single kobo in ransom. Aliyu's account, given in an interview with Gaskiya News Hausa and monitored by SaharaReporters on July 8, 2026, offers a rare and chilling glimpse into the brutal reality of life inside one of Nigeria's most feared criminal networks operating in the vast forests of Niger State.
The nightmare began as Aliyu and a group of labourers were clearing farmland with a tractor inside the dense Kulho forest. Suddenly, three men on motorcycles appeared. Aliyu urged his boys to flee, but the gunmen gave chase. Upon catching them, the armed men immediately began beating everyone, singling out Aliyu as the "big man" with money.
What followed was a desperate struggle for survival. When one of the kidnappers ordered him to lie down, Aliyu refused. He fought back, picking up a stone and throwing it, even managing to wrestle a machete from one of his attackers. He briefly evaded them by hiding in thick vegetation and even climbing a tree, watching from above as the gunmen frantically searched for him. But he was eventually discovered. Even after climbing down, he continued to resist, striking another captor before one of them drew a sword and another opened fire.
Aliyu regained consciousness lying in a pool of blood beside a stream. He had been shot in the head. His younger brother had also been captured. The kidnappers forced Aliyu to record a video for his family, demanding a ransom of N100 million. Aliyu told them he had never even seen such money. They responded by beating him repeatedly, and he later discovered they had also assaulted his children.
The captives were transported deeper into the forest, where they were joined by about 18 other victims. Conditions were horrific. They were given no food or water until around 3 p.m., and then only plain rice without salt or oil. The victims were blindfolded and chained together with motorcycle chains before being forced to sleep. Aliyu said the kidnappers routinely beat new captives until they admitted they could raise larger ransom payments. The gunmen openly identified themselves as members of Dogo Gide's group and discussed planned attacks, including confrontations with the rival Lakurawa group.
The kidnappers concluded that Aliyu was wealthy after finding photographs on his phone that suggested political connections. They also saw pictures of his friends in the military. After prolonged negotiations, the ransom was reduced from N100 million to N50 million, then N10 million. Aliyu personally appealed to the gang leader, insisting he could not raise even that amount. He also pleaded for medical attention for his head wound, but the kidnappers instead pinned him down and forcefully injected him with an unknown substance.
Despite the torture and starvation, Aliyu said he contemplated escape but feared for his brother's life. When the kidnappers threatened to take him directly to Dogo Gide if the ransom was not paid, Aliyu's resolve remained unshaken. He told his family to contribute only what they could afford, enraging the gunmen, who then stopped providing food entirely for two days. Ultimately, after five days of captivity, Aliyu and his younger brother escaped. They fled the forest without paying a single kobo in ransom. Aliyu's brother understood Fulfulde and had been translating the kidnappers' conversations, providing crucial intelligence. They are certain that Dogo Gide himself was operating inside the forest.
Aliyu's escape is a rare act of defiance against one of Nigeria's most wanted bandits, whose criminal network has terrorised rural communities across Niger State. His account underscores the immense human cost of the banditry crisis that has gripped northern Nigeria, where farmers risk their lives simply to cultivate their land. For Aliyu and his brother, survival came not through negotiation or payment, but through sheer will and a desperate, courageous flight to freedom.
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