The sisters were abducted at the beginning of the year by armed men who broke into their house, just 25 kilometers from the center of Abuja.
One of the sisters, 21-year-old Nabeeha al-Kadriyar, was killed when a ransom deadline expired.
Kidnapping for ransom has been a major problem in Nigeria for a long time. Armed criminals target and find victims on highways, apartments and even schools.
– Under siege
Public outrage over the abduction of the sisters prompted Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to come out and condemn what he calls the latest wave of abductions and bandit attacks.
First Lady Remi Tinubu has also expressed concern. At the same time, politicians and the press are questioning the government’s action plan after gangs have targeted parts of the heavily guarded capital area, called the Federal Capital Territory.
Nigeria is characterized by a persistent wave of violence. Here, a woman carries a mattress with her after fleeing an attack in northern Nigeria in December. Photo: AP / NTB Show more
A tabloid newspaper has declared that Abuja is “under siege”.
The area is as large as individual states, but is governed by a minister instead of a governor.
Insecurity
The Nigerian risk assessment company SBM Intelligence tells AFP that 283 abductions have been documented in the capital area in the past year alone.
Some experts believe that the economic crisis Nigeria is in is increasing the volume of kidnappings as desperate Nigerians turn to crime as a means of earning income.
SBM analyst Confidence MacHarry says that the insecurity linked to the capital area has been growing for years.
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– It has gotten worse over time, he says, and points to an attack on a prison on the outskirts of Abuja in 2022 as a milestone.
Armed attackers bombed their way into Kuje prison and freed hundreds of inmates. IS-allied jihadists claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Minister for the Capital Region has come out and asked residents not to panic, and promised to find a solution to the insecurity.
But MacHarry says authorities need a consistent approach and warns that sporadic or periodic crackdowns on criminals in Abuja’s slums are not working.
– All the bandits need to do is lie low and buy time, says MacHarry.
Attack in the evening
On the night the five sisters were abducted, they were at home in Bwari in the national capital, says Asiya Adamu, a cousin of the sisters.
Adamu describes how the attackers, known as bandits in Nigeria, struck at around 9pm on January 2.
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They demanded money immediately, but the sisters’ father Mansoor had no money to give them and offered them his possessions instead.
The attackers rounded up the five sisters and tied their hands. They also captured Mansoor and a cousin and were violent towards the seven family members before taking them away, says Adamu.
Was killed
When Mansoor’s brother tried to help his family, he was shot dead by the attackers. Several police officers were also killed in a shootout, she continues.
Mansoor was released on the condition that he raise a large sum of ransom within a few days. But the family, which is struggling financially, was unable to meet the deadline.
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One sister, Nabeeha, was killed and her body was sent home to her family.
The ransom demand was then increased. Negotiations with the abductors continued, despite the family managing to raise the increased ransom sum through an online fundraiser.
Promises end
Tinubu came to power last year and has promised to end the wave of violence in Nigeria. It includes cracking down on jihadists in the north-east, criminal militias in the north-west and violence in several central states.
But critics say the abduction crisis is out of control.
A water buffalo is surprised by a herd of lions and has to be eaten before the rest of the buffalo herd comes to the rescue! view more
Opposition politician Peter Obi says that the fact that the abductions, murders and other cases of armed robbery and violent attacks are now taking place in Abuja, the country’s capital, is a clear indication of how insecure the rest of the country is.
– The trauma experienced by this family and the blood of this innocent child should enter our conscience as leaders, he says of the situation of the five sisters and their cousin.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has condemned the abduction of the five sisters and their cousins in early January. Photo: Lewis Joly / AP / NTB Show more
The president, for his part, says that he wants to address the fundamental causes of the violence, for example by investing in education, but has not put forward a clear strategy.
Saved
After 18 days in captivity, the remaining five of the abducted sisters were finally rescued by the police.
In a joint police and military operation in the Kajuru forest in northern Nigeria, the sisters were extracted and transported to safety. They are now reunited with their family.
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It is not known whether the abductors were paid the ransom that the family collected.
Nigerian law prohibits paying ransom to abductors, but many families have little faith in the authorities and feel they have no choice.
As the family collected the ransom, Defense Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar came out and asked people not to contribute.
– We must not give in to ransom demands. If we do not pay, abductions will not be profitable and they will end, he said.
– Shouldn’t happen
Kidnapping emerged as a major problem in Nigeria in the 2000s and is considered a lucrative industry. When 276 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram in 2014, it made headlines around the world, but most abductions receive little or no attention.
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– Every day you hear about a new abduction, even of entire families, says Adamu.
She describes Nabeeha as a smart, sweet and kind person, who had just finished university and was looking forward to celebrating her degree.
– Nobody deserves this. That should not happen to anyone, says Adamu.
(©NTB)
2024-01-23 05:54:56
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