We paid ransom to free Abuja kidnapped sisters

BY UKPONO UKPONG

Contrary to reports that the Police rescued the five Al-Kadriyar sisters from the captivity of kidnappers, a family member of the sisters said the family indeed paid a ransom to the kidnappers to effect their release.

The sisters, six in all, were on January 2, abducted from their home in the Bwari Council area, Abuja. One of the sisters was killed when the family delayed in raising the initial N60 million demanded by the abductors of the girls.

Speaking with the BBC on Monday, Sheriff Al-Kadriyar, an uncle to the girls, said a ransom was paid and the kidnappers dropped the girls in a forest where the family picked them up. He however, did not disclose the amount paid to free the girls.

The Police had on Sunday, claimed to have “successfully rescued the victims”, and reunited them with their relatives.

“There’s nothing like rescue in this matter. We paid ransom – even though I can’t disclose how much for security reasons,” he told BBC Yoruba.

The BBC reported on Monday that tej Nigeria Police spokespersons had not responded to its request for comments on the matter.

Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru and his FCT counterpart, Nyesom Wike , had, in the heat of the abduction saga, cautioned Nigerians on paying ransom to kidnappers or embarking on crowdfunding to raise money for ransom.

One of the abductees, 21-year-old Nabeeha, a final-year university student, was killed by her abductors.

An existing law, passed in 2022 made ransom payment a criminal offence.
It carries a jail sentence of at least 15 years for anyone who pays a ransom.

However, nobody has been arrested or prosecuted for paying ransom to kidnappers. A former cabinet Minister, Isah Pantami, admitted raising N50 million for the release of the kidnapped sisters while they were still in captivity.

Sheriff Kadriyar, who said he was involved in negotiating with the kidnappers, explained that the ransom money was handed over to the kidnappers on Wednesday.

According to him, the family’s decision to open up on the ransom payment was not intended to discredit the police but to set the record straight.