Sirajo Saidu, a staunch Facebook supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari has withdrawn his support for the president following the recent kidnap of five of his brothers by bandits.
Mr Saidu, from Sokoto State, declared support for a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Bandits on December 12 abducted over 20 people in separate attacks on communities in Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Immediately after the abduction, Mr Saidu took to his Facebook page to announce that five of his brothers were among the 20 residents abducted.
“All the five men taken in our house are my brothers. The bandits didn’t kill anyone in our community but they took many people in that operation alone. We are waiting for them (bandits) to call for the ransom. Please include my brothers and other victims in your prayers,” he wrote in Hausa, the language he uses to communicate with his over 4,000 followers and about 5,000 friends on Facebook.
Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES two days after the abduction, Saidu said the kidnappers had contacted the family and family members had started contributing money to pay the ransom. He, however, did not state the amount requested.
Saidu, who is popular on social media for attacking critics of the president and the All Progressives Congress, said his reason for dumping Buhari was because no one helped him and his family members to raise the ransom money.
“Today, being Wednesday 29 of December 2021, I, Surajo Saidu Sokoto have dumped the Buhariyya (a Hausa coinage for Buhari supporters) team and have now joined the Kwankwasiya (a coinage for Me Kwankwaso) team. Because bandits abducted my five siblings and I posted it several times but we paid the ransom money and none of them helped me,” he wrote.
