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| Sarkin Gobir |
Reports from Sokoto state in northern Nigeria indicate that the bandits who kidnapped the Emir of Gobir of Gatawa town, Alhaji Isa Bawa, have killed him.
This week, the king was seen in a video asking the Sokoto state government to pay the ransom demanded by the bandits, warning that if the deadline was not met, they would kill him.
Three weeks ago, the bandits kidnapped the king in the Kwanar Maharba area while he was on his way back home after attending a meeting in Sokoto town.
In an interview with the BBC, Shuaibu Gwanda Gobir, the mayor of Gobir and one of the people who appointed the king, said that they received news that the kidnappers had killed the king on Tuesday.
"The news I got is that the bandits shot him yesterday [Tuesday] afternoon, and those who went to discuss the payment of the ransom saw the king's body lying there," he said.
He added that by the time he was spoken to, they had not yet received the deceased's body.
He also mentioned that the king's son, Kabiru, was kidnapped along with him, and that is their current focus.
The mayor said: "On Tuesday morning, the leader of the kidnappers was called, and he even asked about the ransom money. When asked to speak to the king, he said he was there, feeling warm by the fire.
When we spoke to Kabiru, he confirmed that the king was there, feeling warm, but he kept asking for the ransom to be paid to free them."
A son of the chief of Gobir said that his father was ambushed in the Kwanar Maharba area while he was returning home.
"The gunmen started shooting at each other when they saw our father's car, which caused the car's tires to burst and diverted the attention of the driver until he stopped," said Sarkin's son.
Sources from Sabon Birni said five more people were kidnapped in the area on the day the king was kidnapped.
