President Bola Tinubu’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has handed over two kidnapped victims rescued in Kaduna to their family.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka handed over the victims — Khadijah and Fatimah Shehu Magaji — to their husband, Shehu Magaji, on Tuesday on behalf of the NSA.
Laka said that the two women were abducted on 18 August in Makarfi, Kaduna State, and were held in Yadi Forest, Giwa Local Government Area of the state.
Laka said: ‘While in captivity, Khadijah gave birth to a baby girl, Hafsat, under extremely harsh conditions.
‘For 33 harrowing days, these women endured unimaginable hardship.
‘The kidnappers demanded N500 million, later reduced to N200 million. Yet, through dialogue and intelligence, we secured their release without ransom.
‘The victims were rescued on 19 September and formally handed over to representatives of the Kaduna state government for onwards reunification with their family’.
Laka added that security agencies had arrested some suspects, including Ibrahim Mohammed (alias Alaye), and Adamu Mohammed, linked to armed robbery, kidnappings, and multiple killings.
He said the gang was behind the killing of a lawmaker in Gareywa in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and the murder of a Divisional Police Officer in Gwagwalada, Abuja, with their criminal network extending across Delta, Kaduna, Kano and Nasarawa States.
‘This operation is proof that Nigeria’s counter-terrorism strategy is delivering results. But our greatest weapon remains unity and resilience as a people’, he said.
