While Nigerians mourn the killing of Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, a 400-Level undergraduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria by bandits, kidnappers have reportedly killed three of eleven residents of the Sagwari Estate Layout in the Dutsen-Alhaji area of the Federal Capital Territory, including a 13-year-old secondary school student identified as Folorunsho Ariyo.
They also sent send a strong warning to their relatives negotiating ransom payment. 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 totalling N700 million. Residents said the victims were allegedly killed over the delay in raising the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
The Kidnappers had invaded the Sagwari community on Sunday, January 7, at about 7:30 pm, and kidnapped 11 residents, including a mother and her four children, and a receptionist and barman from a nearby hotel.
Nabeeha was abducted her alongside her father and five of her sisters from their home in Bwari Abuja on January 2, 2024.
Read also: “The Government has abandoned us”, lament Bwari residents in Abuja as gunmen snatch 23 residents
Read also: Four dead, 39 kidnapped as bandits strike in the FCT
Law & Society had earlier reported that following her death, the former Minister for Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, announced via his X handle that a friend of his has offered to pay N50 million ransom to kidnappers to secure the release of the five remaining sisters.
Prior to his intervention and the death of Nabeeha, Nigerians on social media had started a fundraising campaign for the ransom to secure her release and that of her sisters.
But as bandits appear to operate with abandon in Abuja the Nigeria Police seem to be more concerned with chasing after Nigerians that are using the ‘No gree for anybody’ 2024 New Year slang,.
However, many including Aisha Yesufu, a government critic, believes “It shows where their priority is.”
For Prof Alphonsus Alubo, SAN: These senseless acts and killings are horrendous. Each time I come across an item on kidnapping and banditry, I am simply apoplectic. And we are just helpless and clueless about eradicating same. So bold are they, that they provide bank account details….extant bank accounts, with BVN, that could be traced. In a normal, hapless transaction, by a sane man, all manner of scrutiny is unleashed.
“We are just unable to govern ourselves and we shout ourselves hoarse at our law enforcement agencies’ inaction and collapse. Why would people, in a sane country pray instead ‘May I and mine, not be victims, on account of our woes? This is why the number of mentally deranged souls have quadrupled. Not a normal epoch. I don’t now know, who will help the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Outraged over the situation, Abuja lawyer Mojirayo Ogunlana-Nkanga said: “I think we can say that we are exhibiting the state of anomie. We are conveniently basking in normlessness which is usually followed by chaos and disorder. Hence I understand perfectly why people like Prof Odinkalu are raising the Clarion now for the Judiciary to purge itself of every form of corruption.”
