By Erewunmi Peace

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has publicly disowned two kidnapping victims who were seen in a viral video claiming to be his younger brothers. The governor clarified that the victims were not related to him, and described the statement as a coercive tactic used by their abductors to pressure for ransom.

The controversial video, which circulated online over the weekend, showed two young men in a forested area, surrounded by armed men, claiming they were Governor Lawal’s younger siblings. The video sparked outrage and sympathy, with many Nigerians calling on the governor to intervene.

However, in an official statement released on Monday by the governor’s media aide, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the Zamfara leader strongly denied any familial ties to the victims.

“Governor Dauda Lawal does not have any male siblings. The claim made in the viral video is false and was made under duress. It is a deliberate ploy by the kidnappers to emotionally blackmail the governor and the public,” the statement read.

The statement further explained that Governor Lawal has only one sibling — a sister, and insisted that the video was a clear example of how criminal elements manipulate victims to serve their own purposes.

Security experts have described the incident as a worrying trend in kidnapping cases, where abductors now force victims to create fake narratives to increase public pressure and ransom value.

Governor Lawal has reiterated his commitment to strengthening security across Zamfara State and ensuring that criminal syndicates are dismantled.