Abdullahi Reveals People Who Raised Ransom For Ex-NYSC DG, Tsiga’s Release

Brigadier General Ismaila Abdullahi (retd.) has revealed that the release of retired Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga (retd.), who was kidnapped from his Katsina State home on February 5, 2025, was made possible by the generous financial contributions from both retired and serving military officers, as well as civilians from various sectors of society.

In a heartfelt note of appreciation shared on Facebook on Sunday, Abdullahi expressed gratitude on behalf of Tsiga and his associates, detailing how the community came together to facilitate the retired general’s release.

Naijaonpoint reports that Abdullahi attributed the success to a coordinated effort via a WhatsApp platform known as “TSIGA,” created on February 9, 2025, to collect funds after bandits demanded a ₦400 million ransom.

“The response was overwhelming. On this platform, we had over 300 members, which included retired military officers, serving officers, university lecturers, ambassadors, and businessmen, among others,” Abdullahi stated.

He also highlighted how the platform played a key role in the transparency of the fundraising process, saying, “I asked Kamal (General Tsiga’s son) to send us his father’s bank account. He immediately sent me General Tsiga’s account, domiciled in Unity Bank, and I posted this on the TSIGA PLATFORM to request donations to help the family meet the ransom demands.”

Abdullahi described the flood of support as “remarkable,” adding, “Donations came in pouring like ‘August rains.’” While the total amount raised was not disclosed due to security concerns, Abdullahi emphasized the significant impact of the contributions.

“From February 22, 2025, when donations started coming in, until March 15, 2025, the amount received proved that TOGETHER WE CAN,” he said.

In his concluding remarks, Abdullahi expressed profound gratitude to all who contributed. “On behalf of General MI Tsiga, his family, friends, colleagues, and associates, I want to thank you all for your brotherly and sisterly expressions of concern and contributions—financial, moral, and spiritual—in our collective efforts to secure General Tsiga’s freedom,” he stated.

He also marked the successful conclusion of his public communication regarding the ordeal, declaring, “Today, April 4, 2025, I have come to the end of my humble task… I feel fulfilled as our collective efforts have finally yielded a very positive outcome: THE RELEASE of General MI Tsiga.”