Relatives of the Al-Kadriyar girls have disclosed that they paid a ransom to bandits to secure the release of five of the six girls abducted alongside 23 others on January 2, 2023, in Bwari, Federal Capital Territory.
Contrary to official reports from FCT police and Nigerian Army sources claiming a joint rescue effort, uncles Abbas and Sherifdeen Al-Kadriyar, in an exclusive interview, contested these claims. Abbas Al-Kadriyar stated, “We paid a ransom for the release of our girls. A ransom was paid, and the police were not involved.”
According to Abbas, soldiers assisted in locating the children in the thick Gurara Dam bush. He clarified, “The children were not rescued by anyone; the soldiers only assisted me in locating where they were and provided cover for us.”
Sherifdeen Al-Kadriyar supported this account, adding, “My elder brother picked up the girls days after we paid the ransom. The soldiers escorted them back home.”
In contrast, the FCT Police Command insisted that the victims, including the Al-Kadriyar sisters, were rescued from the bandits’ den in Kajuru forest in Kaduna State. FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, stated that the rescue occurred on Saturday night, with victims reunited with their families.
SP Adeh affirmed, “The FCT police has rescued the victims and reunited them with their families.” She credited the success to the Anti-Kidnapping squad’s efforts, in collaboration with troops of the Nigerian Army.
While conflicting narratives persist, the FCT Police Commissioner, Haruna Garba, expressed commitment to maintaining peace, urging residents to report suspicious activities through emergency lines.
