Two housewives abducted in Makarfi, Kaduna State, and held in the notorious Yadi Forest for over a month, have regained freedom and reunited with their family.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, through the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), on Tuesday officially handed over Khadijah and Fatimah Shehu Magaji to their husband, Shehu Magaji.
The National Coordinator of NCTC, Rear Admiral Adamu Laka, who represented the NSA at the handover ceremony in Kaduna, said the women were kidnapped on August 18 and endured 33 harrowing days in captivity.
“While in captivity, Khadijah gave birth to a baby girl, Hafsat, under extremely harsh conditions,” Laka disclosed.
He explained that the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N500 million, later reduced to N200 million, but security operatives secured the victims’ release without payment.
The women were rescued on September 19 and handed over to Kaduna State authorities before being reunited with their family.
According to him, the success of the operation highlighted the effectiveness of non-kinetic strategies — including intelligence gathering and dialogue — in tackling insecurity.
Laka also confirmed the arrest of several suspects linked to the abductions, among them Ibrahim Mohammed, also known as “Alaye,” and Adamu Mohammed.
The suspects, he noted, are associated with armed robbery, kidnappings, and killings across Delta, Kaduna, Kano, and Nasarawa states.
The gang, he added, was behind the killing of a lawmaker in Gareywa, Kaduna State, and the murder of a Divisional Police Officer in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
“This operation is proof that Nigeria’s counter-terrorism strategy is yielding results. But beyond security agencies, our greatest weapon remains unity and resilience as a people,” Laka said.
The rescue of the victims, particularly Khadijah who gave birth in captivity, has drawn public attention to the plight of abductees and renewed calls for decisive actions against kidnapping syndicates.
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