The brutal killing of three persons by kidnappers in Abuja over delay in payment of ransom to them has caused uproar among Nigerians.
Three residents of the Sagwari Estate Layout in the Dutsen-Alhaji area, Bwari of the Federal Capital Territory, including Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, a 400-level student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a 13-year-old secondary school student, Folorunsho Ariyo had been slaughtered.
Kidnappers had invaded the Sagwari community on Sunday, January 7, at about 7:30 p.m, and kidnapped 11 residents, including a mother and her four children, and a receptionist and barman from a nearby hotel.
A staff member of the hotel had narrated to a journalist that the gunmen who invaded the community dressed as military men and taken their victims up to the mountain while a pastor escaped, adding that joint efforts by the estate security and some police officers to trail the kidnappers had proved abortive, as they could neither find the kidnappers nor their victims.
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It was gathered that the late Folashade, whose corpse was dumped alongside three others, including Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, around a former military checkpoint behind Idah junction along the Bwari-Jere SCC Road in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was identified as the daughter of Ekiti State-born Chief Legal Officer of the National Universities Commission.
Meanwhile, the kidnappers, who cited delay in paying the demanded N60 million ransom for each of the victims, have now reportedly increased their demand from the families of the remaining seven victims to N100 million ransom for each one of the victims.
The gunmen later released Najeebah’s father, asking him to go get N60m as ransom for the release of her five daughters before Friday, January 12.
In a bid to raise money, Nigerians were urged to donate whatever they have into a bank account, but not enough money was gathered as of Friday.
Consequently, the hoodlums reportedly killed Najeebah, the oldest of the six girls, and dumped her body somewhere for her parents to bury.
Angry Nigerians have called on the authorities to bring an end to insecurity in the nation’s capital, noting that the territory has been made unsafe.
Atiku Abubakar @atiku in his X handle wrote ‘‘The escalating violence and lawlessness in our nation deeply distresses me as bandits and kidnappers continue their reign of terror unchecked. Our youths and innocent citizens are being murdered daily. Just last Saturday, we lost Nabeeha to her captors. Yesterday, the tragedy deepened with the murder of more victims, including Folorunsho Ariyo, a 13-year-old student. Folorunsho was one of ten people kidnapped from Sagwari Estate Layout in Dutse, Bwari Area Council of the FCT, on January 7th, 2024.
”It is obvious that the worsening poverty and hunger in the land is escalating the level of kidnapping and insecurity in Nigeria, particularly in Abuja, the federal capital. When the government fails to fulfil its constitutional obligations of protecting the lives and property of citizens, it is an invitation to kidnappers and other criminal elements to have a free rein visiting houses and hotels in and around the capital city, kidnapping citizens without resistance. This is a sad development. It is imperative that the authorities address this dire security situation urgently to regain the trust of the Nigerian people. While I mourn with the deceased families, I pray to the Almighty to comfort them, grant the dead eternal peace and protect our nation,” Atiku, a 2023 PDP Presidential candidate, tweeted.
@PeterObi tweeted ‘‘The reported tragic killing of Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, a student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, who was kidnapped alongside her father and siblings in Abuja, by bandits, not only shows how insecurity currently ravages the nation, but also shows how helpless Nigerians have become in the face of these dangers. The trauma being experienced by this family and the blood of this innocent child, should prick our conscience as leaders, whose duty it is to protect the life of every Nigerian citizen.
‘‘The fact that these kidnappings, killings and other reported cases of armed robbery and violent attacks, are now taking place in Abuja, the nation’s capital, is a clear pointer to how insecure the rest of the country now is.”
Obi who was the 2023 Labour Party Presidential candidate wrote, ‘‘In a related development, suspected gunmen are reported to have set ablaze the palace of the Traditional Ruler of Isseke Community in Anambra State, HRH Igwe Emmanuel Nnabuife. I am very concerned about how insecurity has continued to ravage every part of our dear nation.
‘‘The government and the security agencies, who are at the fore front of this war against insecurity, need to put in more efforts to rescue the remaining family members in captivity, ensure that every part of the nation is secure and that every Nigerian is protected in our nation.
‘‘Hopefully, they will ensure that such violent crimes are no longer committed in our nation. I sincerely commiserate with the bereaved family and pray God Almighty to forgive Nabeehav Al-Kadriyar’s sins and grant her eternal rest and grant the rest of the family members their freedom from captivity. We shall conquer.’’
Another X user, @realgazakure tweeted in X ‘‘Who is mocking you? Can you tell us? You just take your phone to type trash sometimes. Do you think people wish people bad in any form in this country? We hope for the best and you don’t just type post that are not healthy and targeted to some people who have no business with your school of thought and ideology. Please refrain your mindset.
@MissPearls lamented in her X handle, ‘‘Are some ‘animals’ more equal than others? In as much as I don’t support crowdfunding for kidnappers, but can someone point me to a reason funds weren’t raised for Michelle Ariyo’s family as well? Michelle Folorunsho Ariyo and Nabeeha were brutally murdered and their other family members are still in captivity But one family is gaining more support than the other, why is this so? This is beyond unfortunate!’’
@mayeesq recalled ‘‘A Yoruba family was taken alongside Nabeeha’s family from the same compound, same kidnappers, at the same time. Wasshitpapping brought only the Arewa family’s case online. The other family also had their first daughter killed. And are looking for N60M, too. Kai’’
@Sarki_sultan wrote ‘‘Nabeeha never see this coming her way, she never for ones expect that she will be one of the victims coming days, she voice out her voice calling to stop the killing, unfortunately she is now one of the victims, I or you may be today or tomorrow’s victim, if I die today or tomorrow, I know i didn’t fail as how Nabeeha didn’t fail to speak out, Am saying this with pain and tears in my eyes, Where ever you see kidnapper or bandit been arrest by agencies, try not to let the security go with him alive, make sure you k*ll him before giving them the de@d body. And another reminder, GET READY FOR THEM AND GET YOUR WEAPONS READY TO ENGAGE, we can’t just let some few uneducated An!mals been harassing and killing us. Arewa Twitter Rest in Janna Nabeeha.”
An X user, @Aginas tweeted “It has never been this worse in Abuja. Elections truly have consequences. Some people’s bad decision has plunged the nation into a failed state.”
@Akintollgate, in his post, stated: “Hearing about the murder of Folorunsho Ariyo alongside Nabeeh is just devastating & heart-breaking! Two promising souls with a lot of life ahead of them murdered by some imbeciles. It’s so upsetting!”. Another user, @bamidele_oye, wrote, “A whole Federal Capital Territory is not safe, now imagine other states.”
As of the time of filing this report, the police have yet to issue any statements, even as the Force’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Josephine Adeh, said the police were “working on it.”
