Betrayal in Blood: The Uncle Who Sold His Own for ₦200,000

 Betrayal in Blood: The Uncle Who Sold His Own for ₦200,000

The night was eerily silent in the small town of Angwa Kanawa Dutse Abba, Zaria. Families slept behind locked doors, unaware that danger lurked from within. For Alhaji Bashiru Anas, a respected businessman, the horror that would unfold in the dead of night was unimaginable.

It wasn’t faceless strangers who orchestrated the crime. It wasn’t an outsider who pointed the kidnappers to his doorstep. It was his own blood—his uncle, Ado Haruna.

A Family’s Worst Nightmare Begins

At precisely 1 a.m., heavily armed men stormed the Anas household, moving with precision, as if guided by someone who knew every detail of the property. Their target was Anas, but he was away. Undeterred, they seized his wives, three children, younger brother, and sister-in-law.

Screams pierced the night air as the helpless family was dragged away. Neighbors dared not intervene; they had seen too many bodies left behind by these criminals. The captives were taken deep into the dense forests of Buruku Sabo Birni, a known hideout for kidnappers.

For sixty agonizing days, Anas negotiated desperately for their release. The ransom? A staggering ₦13 million. It was money he had to gather by selling off properties, calling in favors, and borrowing from friends. Yet, unknown to him, the man whispering details of his every move to the kidnappers was someone he had trusted all his life.

The Judas Among Them

Ado Haruna was no stranger to Anas. He was family. An uncle. A supposed protector. But greed and desperation had turned him into something far worse.

When the police finally arrested him, he confessed without hesitation.

"I led the bandits to his house. I didn't let him see me, but I was there," Haruna admitted, his voice devoid of remorse.

He had played his role well, using Anas’s phone to communicate with the kidnappers and pretending to help in securing the family’s release. When the ₦13 million ransom was paid, the kidnappers pocketed their cut, and Haruna was handed a mere ₦200,000.

A lifetime of betrayal. A family's torment. And all for the price of maize, which Haruna later admitted was what he spent his share of the money on.

Unraveling a Criminal Empire

The arrest of Haruna was just the beginning. Police investigations led to the capture of another notorious kidnapper, Nyali Hassan, a father of ten and a seasoned criminal. He had kidnapped at least eight people, collecting ransoms ranging from ₦1 million to ₦10 million.

His reason for venturing into crime? The flashy lifestyles of his friends, who lured him into the trade.

"I saw them spending money like water. I wanted the same," he said without shame.

Hassan’s gang was responsible for countless kidnappings across Kaduna and Kano states. With his arrest and Haruna’s confession, law enforcement gained crucial insights into the inner workings of the region’s kidnapping syndicates.

A Nation Held Hostage

Kidnapping has become a dark industry in Nigeria. Over 1,000 people were abducted in the past year alone, fueling a crisis that has turned ordinary citizens into targets. From the infamous Chibok schoolgirls' abduction to the increasing cases of mass kidnappings, the country is at war with a faceless enemy that often operates within.

For Alhaji Bashiru Anas, the scars of this betrayal will never fade. His family was returned to him, but the damage was already done. Trust was shattered. The weight of knowing that his own uncle was the mastermind behind his family’s suffering was heavier than the ₦13 million he had lost.

Ado Haruna now sits in a prison cell, awaiting his fate. But one question lingers: What drives a man to sell his own blood for money?