A viral video confession by an employee of a popular restaurant in northern Nigeria’s Zamfara State has ignited public alarm, with residents and advocacy groups demanding urgent investigations into alleged ties between the eatery and organized kidnapping activities. The footage, rapidly circulating on social media, shows a staff member of Yan Doto Food Palace—located near the Zamfara Government House complex in the capital city Gusau—claiming involvement in recent abductions in the Mareri neighborhood, an area previously struck by kidnappings.
Local civil society organizations and the Zamfara State Youth Association have labeled the development a severe security concern, citing the restaurant’s proximity to a high-profile government site. “This revelation is deeply disturbing and has heightened fear among residents,” said Alhaji Ibrahim Abba, the association’s president, in a Monday statement. He emphasized the public’s growing unease over how criminal operations could allegedly operate undetected near key institutions, questioning whether oversight mechanisms had failed.
Abba urged national security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), to launch a comprehensive probe into potential collaborators and hideouts used by criminal networks in the state. He also advised civilians to exercise vigilance in public spaces, noting concerns that suspects might be concealing their identities as ordinary workers or customers.
Kidnappings for ransom have plagued several Nigerian states in recent years, with armed groups often targeting communities and highways. However, the implication of a business near a government hub has intensified scrutiny of security protocols in Zamfara. Authorities have yet to publicly address the video’s claims or confirm whether an official investigation is underway.
The silence from law enforcement has fueled further anxiety among residents, who now question the effectiveness of measures to combat organized crime. As debates over public safety dominate local discourse, the case underscores broader challenges in Nigeria’s fight against kidnappings and the urgent demand for accountability in regions grappling with insecurity.
