National Assembly Deputy Director Recounts Ordeal in Bandits’ Captivity

Michael Akinropo Adesiyan, a Deputy Director at the National Assembly Service Commission, has shared his harrowing experience following his abduction by gunmen at his residence in Kubwa, Abuja, on January 26, 2025. The attack also claimed the life of his wife, Esther, who was brutally killed in his presence.

Adesiyan, along with his wife, son, and two others, was kidnapped during the midnight raid. The gunmen later killed Esther and dumped her body near Itagbajii community in Niger State. Adesiyan spent 32 days chained in captivity before being rescued alongside 59 other victims by Nigerian Army troops during a coordinated operation on April 7.

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Speaking after his rescue, Adesiyan described the bandits as young individuals aged between 17 and 21, mostly illiterate and victims of circumstance. He advocated for their rehabilitation rather than elimination: “Instead of killing them, the government should arrest, educate, and rehabilitate them. Some want to learn trades and can still be useful.”

Recounting his ordeal, he said, “They killed my wife in my presence. At that moment, if they had asked for my head, I would have given it to them.” Adesiyan expressed gratitude to the government for his rescue but called for proactive measures to address banditry through education and disarmament.

The tragic incident highlights the growing insecurity in Nigeria’s capital and the urgent need for enhanced security measures.