Kidnappers who abducted 10 people from Sagwari Estate Layout at Dutse in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on January 7, 2024, have killed two more of the abductees.
However, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said the police already initiated a comprehensive plan of action to rescue the victims.
He said the force headquarters was diligently coordinating efforts to address this and prevent any further occurrence as all hands were on deck to rescue the victims.
It was gathered that after killing some of the kidnap victims, the bandits increased their demand from the initial N60 million per person to N100 million, now totaling N700 million.
Residents said the victims were allegedly killed over the delay in raising the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
It was also gathered that a 13-year-old secondary school student, identified as Folorunsho Ariyo, was among those killed.
On Friday, reports emerged that the kidnappers, who also operated in some villages in Bwari, had killed one of the six abducted persons, Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, to force the family into quickly raising the ransom.
A former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Ali Pantami, on Sunday, announced that he mobilised a balance of N50million ransom for the Al-Kadriyar family to enable them to secure the release of their remaining five daughters from the kidnappers following the murder of Nabeeha.
Meanwhile, residents of Sagwari Layout have perfected plans to stage a massive protest against the perceived inaction of the government and security agencies in rescuing their people.
However, the protest, which was initially planned for this Monday, has been shifted to Tuesday as a result of 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.
Also, Egbetokun, said the police already initiated a comprehensive plan of action, noting that the force was diligently coordinating efforts to address and prevent any further occurrence as all hands are on deck to rescue the victims.
A statement issued by Force Public Relations Officer and Assistant Commissioner of Police, (ACP), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the sensitivity of the situation necessitated discretion and as a result, specific details are being kept confidential to avoid compromising ongoing operations.
“The NPF is actively engaging and contacting individuals crucial to the rescue operations and investigation. The objective is not only to bring perpetrators to justice but also to intensify efforts in rescue operations for victims still in captivity,” he added.
He further stated that in recognizing the psychological impact on affected families, the police were encouraging open communication with their operatives to provide support, information, and assistance to mitigate the psychological warfare imposed by kidnappers on the relatives and loved ones of their victims.
In the meantime, Amnesty International (AI) has lamented the spate of kidnapping in Nigeria, saying that the country was facing an epidemic of kidnapping and citizens are living on a knife edge.
In a statement issued on Monday by its Media and Communications Assistant, Michael Christian, AI stated that rampant kidnapping by armed groups has become a part of daily life in Nigeria.
It added: “Widespread insecurity and chaos have been exacerbated by routine kidnapping, as armed groups tighten their stranglehold on the country.”
Amnesty International called on President Bola Tinubu to treat the rampant kidnapping in the country as an emergency, and take all lawful measures to end the cycle of violence, stressing that people in Nigeria are living in fear.
According to the human rights group, under International Human Rights Law and Nigeria’s constitution, the authorities have obligations to protect lives and properties of all without discrimination.
The group stated that the Nigerian authorities must investigate the waves of kidnapping and killings and bring those suspected of responsibility to justice through fair trials.
According to Amnesty International, the Nigerian authorities are yet to show any tangible commitment to addressing the escalating breakdown of security across the country.
The group noted that whatever security measures being currently implemented, they “are clearly not working, as people in Nigeria feel more unsafe”.
It recalled that last week over 45 people travelling between Otukpo in Benue state and Enugu were kidnapped and nothing had been heard about them yet.
“We are now facing an epidemic of kidnapping. People in Nigeria a now living on the knife edge. Widespread insecurity and the chaos it causes have been exacerbated by routine kidnapping, as armed groups tighten their stranglehold on the country. Nigerian authorities must immediately stem the tide of kidnapping now,” said the Director, Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi.
Meanwhile, an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Mr Oladosu Ariyo, has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to help save his wife and remaining three children from the hands of kidnappers.
In a save their soul message to colleagues and seniors, the lawyers stated that unless the body comes to his rescue on time, the kidnappers may kill his entire family, having already taking the life of his eldest child.
According to him, the kidnappers had invaded his home in an Estate in Dutse area of Bwari, Abuja, on Sunday and carried away his wife and four children, adding that his failure to provide the sum of N60 million led to the killing of his 13 years old daughter.
He is therefore calling on the NBA to quickly intervene and save the lives of his wife and remaining three children.
“Most respectfully, I’m Oladosu Folorunso Ariyo, a lawyer working in Abuja. On Sunday evening the 7th of January 2024, around 7:30 pm, a band of kidnappers dressed in full military camouflage invaded my home located at Sagwari Layout Estate in Dutse, Abuja.
“They kidnapped my wife (who is also a lawyer) and our four children. The kidnappers called and demanded for 60 million ransom out of which through generous donation of friends and family, I’ve been able to raise the sum of N7 million naira which they have vehemently refused to collect.
“As of today, they’ve killed my first born- Michelle Ariyo (age 13) and dumped her corpse on Kaduna Road while threatening to kill my three remaining children (who are all minors) and wife who are still in captivity,” he stated.
Kingsley Nwezeh, Alex Enumah and Wale Igbintade
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