… Says No Ransom Paid
…Announces Arrest of Robbery Suspects Who Killed DPO, Lawyer in Abuja
By Kingsley Omonobi
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on Tuesday handed over two rescued kidnap victims to the Kaduna State Government, affirming that no ransom was paid for their release.
Ribadu, who was represented by the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Major General Adamu Laka, presented the women—Khadijah Shehu Magaji and Fatimah Shehu Magaji, both married to the same husband—after they regained freedom following more than a month in captivity.
General Laka disclosed that one of the victims, Khadijah, gave birth to a baby girl, Hafsat, while being held in the kidnappers’ den.
He said the women were abducted on August 18, 2025, in Makarfi town, Kaduna State, and taken deep into Yadi Forest in the Kidanda area of Giwa Local Government.
“For 33 harrowing days, these women endured unimaginable hardship in the hands of their captors. The kidnappers initially demanded ₦500 million in ransom, later reducing it to ₦200 million. However, through our non-kinetic approach—anchored on dialogue, intelligence gathering, and strategic intervention—we secured their freedom without paying ransom,” he said.
The NCTC Coordinator explained that the rescue on September 19, 2025, underscored the effectiveness of non-kinetic security strategies and the importance of collaboration between security agencies and the Kaduna State Government.
“As we hand over Khadijah, Fatimah, and baby Hafsat to their family, let this moment remind us of what we can achieve when we choose dialogue over violence, strategy over chaos, and unity over division. The life of every Nigerian is priceless, and we will continue to prove that terrorism and armed banditry will never defeat the spirit of our people,” Laka stated.
On other security operations, General Laka announced the arrest of two notorious armed robbery suspects identified as Ibrahim Mohammed (aka Alaye) and Adamu Mon’d.
According to him, the suspects have been linked to several violent crimes, including kidnapping, armed robbery, and car snatching at gunpoint within Abuja.
“They are responsible for the killing of a lawyer in Gareywa and the killing of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) along the Gwagwalada axis. Their network also extends to Delta, Kaduna, Kano, and Kogi States,” he said.
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